


Teen Wolf Coda

by themrsbouvier



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-18
Updated: 2020-09-01
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:28:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 17
Words: 44,430
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24257422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themrsbouvier/pseuds/themrsbouvier
Summary: What would Teen Wolf be like if Stiles had a twin sister?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Each chapter follows an episode of the show. Some dialogue is taken specifically from the script, and the chapters will mostly focus on what changes by the addition of this character. Constructive feedback is always welcome as well as your thoughts on ships, and any scenes you want to see/characters who should interact more. Obviously the star of this series is an OC as it's the story of Teen Wolf but from her perspective.

Carly leaned her head against the cold glass window of her brother's jeep. This whole thing was crazy and they should be at home in bed. She didn’t know how she got herself roped into this crazy scheme. Probably the same way she always did. He was her twin and while he was prone to finding trouble she was always the one getting him out of it. His latest idea was to grab Scott and go hunting through the woods looking for half of a dead body while their dad and the entire sheriff's department was also out looking for it. She looked out the window and rolled her eyes seeing her brother hanging upside down from Scott’s trellis. “Dork.” She laughed and shook her head as her brother made his way back towards the Jeep to wait for Scott.

“You do know that if we find this body and I can’t sleep I’m holding you responsible. If I can’t sleep you can’t either.”

Stiles turned in the driver's seat to look at his sister and nodded, “That’s fair.”

Despite growing up with a Sheriff for a dad they had still shielded them from some of the more awful parts of life. After their moms death he had wanted to save them from anymore pain. Finally the passenger door opened and Scott climbed into Jeep, the sound of the door slamming shut causing Carly to sit up suddenly wide awake. 

“Hey, Carly. How’d you let Stiles talk you into this?”

“He promised me his undying love and affection” Off a skeptical look from both boys she laughed. “Okay he promised he wouldn’t tell dad I borrowed one of the cruisers last weekend and got in a tiny accident.”

“This is why I do all the driving,” Stiles turned on the Jeep and started driving towards the woods.

“Or maybe it’s because you always do all the driving that I’m so bad at it.”

Scott laughed as the siblings continued to banter until Stiles pulled the Jeep off the road and turned the lights off. The three teens climb out of the Jeep and head deeper into the woods following the hiking path with just one flashlight lighting the way.

“Are we seriously doing this?”

“You’re the one always bitching that nothing ever happens in this town. Besides, it’s our last night of summer freedom.”

“I was trying to get a good night’s sleep for practice tomorrow. “

“Right, because sitting on the bench is such a grueling effort.”

“No, because I’m playing this year. In fact, I’m going to make starting lineup.”

“That’s the spirit. Everyone should have a dream. Even a pathetically unrealistic one.”

“Just out of curiosity, which half of the body are we looking for?”

“Huh. I didn’t even think about that.”

“And what if whoever killed the girl is still out here?”

“Also something I didn’t think about. “

“Comforting to know you’ve planned this out with your usual attention to detail.”

Carly rolled her eyes as she walked in front of the boys, “Don’t worry boys. If a crazy killer comes to get us I’ll scream really loud and leave you two as bait.” 

Stiles and Scott look at each other questioning if she’d really do that. “You’d be lost without me. We’re twins. I keep your life interesting.”

Carly stops suddenly in her tracks as a dog barks in the distance. Scott and Stiles come up to stand next to her, Scott struggling to breathe. They look at her before there’s another bark and Stiles takes off running towards it. Carly rolls her eyes and follows but Scott trips over a branch and falls to the ground.

“Guys, wait up!”

Scott pulls his inhaler from his jacket. While he pauses to take a hit from it, Stiles and Carly disappear up ahead. There’s more barking causing the twins to freeze in their tracks as they’re suddenly face to face with a pair of angry dogs. 

“Stay right there!”

Scott freezes in his tracks and hides behind a tree a few yards away. Peering out from behind the tree, he sees Stiles and Carly have run right into the search party. The twins raise their hands aware that in the dark they probably couldn’t recognize them.

“Hold on, hold on, these little delinquents belong to me.” 

Carly has the sense to look ashamed and even Stiles seems to shrink under their fathers gaze as he grabs them both by the arm.

“Do you listen in on all of my phone calls?”

“No... Not the boring ones.”

Carly nudges her brother with her elbow to get him to shut up. He looks at her and they seem to communicate with actually speaking. Their father watches them all too familiar with this trick.

“And where’s your usual partner in crime?”

“Who? Scott? Scott’s home. Said he wanted to get a good night’s sleep for the first day back at school tomorrow. It’s just us.”

“Scott? You out there?”

Scott doesn’t move and in the dark he meets Carly’s eye and she shakes her head. He doesn’t want to be out here alone but he can only imagine the amount of trouble he’d be in if his mom found out. Carly would manage to get her and Stiles out of anything too serious.

“All right, you two I’m taking you back to your car and we’re going to discuss a little something called Invasion of Privacy. I expect this kind of thing from your brother, Carly but not you.

“Sorry dad.”

The next day by the school lockers Carly is standing at her locker with Issac Lahey when she spots her brother and Scott. The two of them had been whispering and cagey all morning. She watched as Scott clamped his hands over his ears like something was wrong and then suddenly he was fine. She looked around and saw the new girl, Allison smiling at him. Then her vision was blocked by Issac waving a hand in her face.

“Earth to Carly. Didn’t you break up with Scott last year? Thought you were moving on.”

Carly nodded, “I am, I did. I wasn’t..he’s just been strange. Stiles dragged us out last night to look for the other half of that body and we got seperated in the woods. Now he and my brother are up to something and I just want to know what it is.”

“So why don’t you just ask them?”

“Because they’ll just lie to me. No this is a mystery I have to solve myself.”

As Lacrosse practice ends Carly walks out by the bleachers and spots Allison and Lydia. She walks a little closer to them to hear the end of their conversation. Scott was good? She turns back to the field to see her brother, Scott, and her best friend. Catching Isaac's eye she could tell he was on her side now. Something was clearly going on. Despite practicing all summer there was no way Scott improved that much. As the boys head off the field Carly meets them.

“So practice seems to have gone well.”

The boys look at each other and Scott seems to want to tell her the truth but a look from Stiles stops him. Scott avoids meeting her eyes like he always does when he lies or is trying to hide something. She’s known him most of her life, it wasn’t going to be that easy.

“Lots of adrenaline. Scott did good. Think Coach is gonna start him. See last night was a good thing.”

Scott and Carly both look at him skeptically. The story was weak and they both knew it but Carly wasn’t going to push it just yet. It would only make them push back harder. Even if they were twins they both had their own secrets. They respected each other’s privacy, most of the time.

“I lost my inhaler last night. We’re going back to look for it.”

“I’ll help. It is partly my fault after all and the woods are vast. The two of you could take hours to find it. If it’s even possible. I’ll meet you at the Jeep.”

She heads off towards the parking lot before either of them can say a word of protest. Isaac runs after her, stopping her just before she reaches the Jeep. 

“You were right. Something is going on with Scott. He was more than good out there. That was more than adrenaline. He went up against Jackson like it was nothing.”

Carly looks back towards Scott and her eyes narrow, “Something happened in those woods last night and I’m going to find out what.”

The three of them had been walking in the woods for what felt like forever. Carly had kept a bit of distance between her and the boys so they could whisper about whatever was going on and when the time was right she could move in closer and maybe finally figure out the secret. They were nowhere near where they had gotten caught. How the hell had Scott managed to end up here? Bored Carly hurried to catch up with the boys as Scott started digging through the leaves.

“I swear this was it. The body was here. The deer came running, I dropped my inhaler…”

“Maybe the killer moved the body.”

“If he did, I hope he left my inhaler. Those things are like eighty bucks.”

Carly has frozen in her spot at this point looking in the other direction as Derek heads their way. Stiles notices and taps Scott on the arm causing him to look up and stand as he realized they were no longer alone.

“What are you doing here?”

Both Scott and Stiles are too stunned to speak at first but Carly manages to pull herself together and steps in front of the boys.

“Who are you?”

Derek looks at her for a few seconds before turning back to Scott but his glance occasionally slides back to Carly. He feels some sense of familiarity with her, some strange pull to this girl.

“This is private property.”

“Sorry, we didn’t know.”

“We were just looking for something. Forget it.”

Derek reaches into his pocket and pulls out Scotts inhaler and tosses it to him. He glances at Carly one last time before turning and walking away. 

“Come on. I have to get to work.”

“Dude, that was Derek Hale. You remember, right? He’s only a few years older than us.”

“Remember what?”

“His family. They all burned to death in a fire like ten years ago.”

“I wonder what he’s doing back.”

The boys start to walk away but Carly is still standing in the same spot. She’s staring at the space where Derek used to be with a longing look on her face. She didn’t know who he was or why but she felt like she knew him. Like she needed to know him. He was important and she knew she needed to find a way to see him again.

“Carly? Come on?” Stiles grabs his sister by the arm and starts to pull her back towards the Jeep. “What is wrong with you today?” 

Carly was laying on her bed studying when she heard a loud thump coming from her brother’s room. Normally she wouldn’t be worried but Scott had just showed up and she thought she’d heard yelling. So she jumped up from the bed and ran next door to her brother’s room. She didn’t knock and threw the door open to find her brother pressed to the wall and his desk chair across the room. She ran to stand between the two boys and glared Scott down.

“What the hell, Scott?!”

“I’m sorry. Really, I didn’t mean it. I have to go. I have to get ready for the party. I’m sorry.”

Scott leaves and Carly turns to her brother worry written all over her face. She looks him over to make sure he’s not hurt. She had never seen them fight like that before.

“Are you okay? What the hell is going on, Stiles?”

“I’m fine. It’s fine. Nothing’s going on. Just go back to studying. One of us has to be the smart one and we both know it’s not going to be me.”

He was trying to joke to distract her. She knew all of his moves and this one was just lazy. She looked around at all the papers on the floor and kept seeing pictures of wolves. Why was he researching wolves? She nodded and headed towards the door, turning back just in time for him to pick up his desk chair and reveal claw marks down the back. What the hell was going on?

That night Carly was sitting on the couch watching TV when her dad came home.

“Thought there was some big party tonight. Why aren’t you there?”

“Not really my thing. Stiles went. Issac’s coming over and he’s bringing pizza. We were gonna watch some old monster movies if you want in?”

Sheriff smiles and shakes his head, “You kids have fun. I’m beat. I’m gonna head to bed. Make sure he goes home by 11. If he needs a ride wake me up.”

“Night, Dad.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I do not own Teen Wolf or any characters except Carly.

Carly ran through the woods, headphones in her ears blocking out the world around her. Running has always been her escape when the world got too loud. When her mom first got sick she’d struggled with her anger and her dad would take her to the school and let her run. She’d run for hours until she was too exhausted to move and he’d carry her back to the truck. When she ran the whole world disappeared and nothing could touch her. Or maybe not. She can feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up and she stops looking around at her surroundings. She was off the trail and way out of her intended path. Taking out one of her headphones she slowly started walking forward, she felt like she’d been here before. It was familiar and yet she had no idea where she was. Stepping out of the line of trees she saw a burnt down house barely standing on it’s foundation. 

Hale house. She recognized it from the photos her father had brought home when investigating the fire. She had no idea how she had ended up here or why she was still walking towards the house like she knew what she was doing. She made her way up the steps and placed a hand on the front door. Chills ran down her spine again as she got that familiar feeling. She knew she had never been here before so why did it feel like she knew exactly what was behind this door? Gently she turned the handle and opened her eyes as she stepped through the doorway into what remained of the house. Sadness and loss hit her like a ton of bricks.

“What are you doing here?”

Carly jumped and turned to see Derek Hale standing behind her in the doorway. She turned off her music and calmed her breathing as she looked around before looking back at him again.

“I was out for a run and I ended up here. Have you been staying here?” 

Despite what her brother and Scott might think she wasn’t scared of him. She probably should be. Who lives in the woods alone, in the remnants of the home where their entire family burned? She turned away from him and continued walking around the house like she knew where she was going. She could feel his eyes still on her, studying her as he followed. 

“You shouldn’t be here. What are you looking for?”

She didn’t have an answer for him. She had no idea what she was looking for or why she was here but she couldn’t make herself leave. 

“It feels familiar. Like I’ve been here before but that’s impossible.” She turned to look at him as if expecting him to have the answers that she didn’t but all he had was a curious expression.

Walking back into the living room, or what used to be the living room, she stopped and pulled out her phone. Turning on the flashflight she aimed it at the floor moving towards the center and bending down. She set her phone down and reached her hand between two warped floorboards and pulled out a necklace. Before she knew what was happening Derek was kneeling next to her, his hand out asking for the necklace. She handed it to him and watched as he inspected it.

“How did you find this? I’ve been here a million times and I never saw it.”

Carly stared at him with a slight twinge of fear now working its way through her body. She wasn’t afraid of him but maybe she should be afraid of herself. How had she found that? How had she known to come here? 

“I don’t know. I just..I’m sorry.” 

Stumbling to her feet she rushed out of the house leaving her phone behind. Slipping the necklace into his pocket Derek grabbed her phone and went after her. He was in front of her and had she not been having a minor panic attack she might have found that strange. 

“Wait. You left your phone. Carly, right? The Sheriff’s daughter.”

Carly took her phone from him, their hands touching for a brief second and that familiar feeling was back. “Yeah.”

“Thanks. I don’t really have much left of my family.” He pulled the necklace out of his pocket and showed it to her. It was mostly unharmed which was amazing and it was engraved with initials T.H.

“Your mom.”

Derek nodded and slipped the necklace back into his pocket. He looked more broken, more like a boy who had lost his mother far too young than a scary murderer. He reminded her of Stiles like this after their mom had died. 

“My mom’s dead. You knew that I’m sure. She died six years ago. Sometimes it still feels like it was yesterday. My dad doesn't talk about it much and Stiles..well he prefers to forget it ever happened by doing incredibly stupid shit.” She laughed. “The only thing we have left of her is the Jeep. Stiles jeep. I guess what I’m trying to say is I know how it feels to lose someone you love and not have anything to remind you of them. I’m glad I could help you.”

Derek didn’t say anything he just stared at her but his usual cold blank stare was replaced by a softer more human one. She was the first person in a long time to look at him and see the human and not the wolf. He didn’t have to pretend with her.

“I’m sorry. About your mom. Let me give you a ride. I’m pretty sure you ran a lot farther than you wanted to.”

He was right and looking at the time on her phone she sighed. It was her first day and she was going to be late. 

“Actually a ride would be great. I’m starting a new job today and I’m going to be late.”

Derek nodded and walked over to his car and opened the door for her, “Where are we going?”

“Beacons Crossing Recovery Home.”

Carly didn’t notice as she got into the car the way Derek stiffened a little at the mention of the facility where his Uncle currently resided. 

Carly walked out of the locker room, grateful that someone had left a pair of scrubs sitting around that she could make work. There hadn’t been enough time for her to go home and change and jogging gear wasn’t exactly appropriate for her given situation. Making her way to the main desk she was handed a clipboard and assigned a floor. Turns out being an aide wasn’t going to be as exciting as she thought. She was just here to keep the patients happy and provide them with some company. She got to the third floor and everything was quiet. It felt like she was the only person here. That couldn’t be right but the hairs on the back of her neck were standing up again. Slowly making her way down the hallway she stopped outside a door that was slightly ajar. There was something about this room making her want to go inside. It was like in the woods all over again. Slowly opening the door she looked at her clipboard to find out who the patient was. Peter Hale. She dropped the clipboard and looked up to see the man staring out the window unbothered by her interruption. 

“Mr. Hale?”

He was Derek’s uncle, but why hadn’t Derek said anything when he dropped her off? She made her way closer to him and could see the burns still healing on his face. She couldn’t imagine what he had been through and how painful it must still be even all these years later. She pulled a chair up next to him and stared out the window with him. They sat there in silence for what felt like hours and probably was because the next thing she knew her phone was vibrating. Getting up from her chair quickly she pushed it back where it had been before going back over to Peter. 

“I have to go now,” She placed a hand on top of his. “I’ll be back in a few days though and I’ll check in on you again. You’re actually not bad company. Excellent conversationalist.” 

She smiled as she left the room closing the door behind her and hitting Isaac’s number on her phone. “I need you to pick me up and take me to the Sheriff’s station. I’m going to kill my brother.”

Isaac pulled into the Sheriff’s station parking lot and turned off the car before turning to Carly, “Are you sure you want to do this? I mean what are you going to say?”

“I was thinking I’d start off with the fact that listening to anything Stiles says ever is a horrible idea and being the Sheriff my father should know that.” 

Isaac shook his head but was resigned to the fact that nothing he said was going to change Carly’s mind. “Just be careful. You’re going through a lot of trouble for this guy and you barely even know him.”

“I know it seems crazy but I know he didn’t do this Isaac.”

She climbs out of the car and makes her way into the Sheriff’s station and up to the desk, “Is my dad in there?” 

The deputy looks up at her and shakes his head, “He just left.”

The lacrosse game was tonight. She’d almost forgotten and now she felt like an asshole for dragging Isaac out here and missing his game. 

“You guys have Derek Hale locked up, right? Can I see him?”

The Deputy looks at her confused and shakes his head. “You know you can’t go back there. He’s a suspected murderer. Your dad would kill me.”

Carly leans over the counter and smiles, “He doesn’t have to know. Besides he’s locked up behind bars. He can’t hurt me. I just need to ask him a question. Five minutes in and out.”

The Deputy sighs but leads her towards the holding area and slides his card to let her in, “Five minutes.”

Carly smiles at him as she makes her way towards the cell where Derek is being kept, he’s already at the bars like he knew she was coming.

“I’m sorry. My brother is an idiot. I think you really freaked him and Scott out that night and now he’s just obsessed with the idea that you’re a murderer.” She rolled her eyes at the thought.

“What makes you so sure that I’m not?”

Carly steps right up to the bars unafraid, “Because you could have killed me and you didn’t. Besides, I saw the pictures of the body. That girl was torn in half. You might be strong but no one is that strong.” 

She shrugged and Derek couldn’t help but smirk at just how wrong she was. Clearly she had no idea what was going on with her brother and Scott and that was something he could use. 

“Why didn’t you tell me your Uncle was a patient at the care facility?”

He looked at her surprised by the return to normal conversation. She seemed to be more bothered by his omission than by the fact he was in jail for being a suspected murderer. 

“Not really something I like to bring up. Figured you’d find out on your own soon enough.” He could smell him on her. Peter and Scott. She was surrounding herself with wolves and she had no idea of the danger she was getting into. “You should go.”

Carly scoffed, “I’m getting you out of here and then I’m going to murder my brother.”

Before Derek could say anything the Deputy was back but instead of kicking Carly out he released Derek from the cell.

“You’re free to go. Coroner declared it an animal attack and identified the victim. It’s your sister Laura Hale. Sorry.”

The Deputy turned and left them standing there in the room, Carly grabbed Derek's hand in her own and watched him waiting for something to happen. He had already lost so much. 

“Derek…” She could tell by the sad but unsurprised expression on his face that he had already known the identity. Which explained why he had buried her on his property. He’d brought her home. “You’re going to try to find who did this on your own, aren’t you?” 

Derek didn’t look at her; he just kept staring straight ahead in silence even as the warmth from her hand flooded his body. He couldn’t do this. He couldn’t drag her into this life, this world. It would be so easy for him to use her to get Scott and Stiles to do what he wanted but she didn’t deserve that. He had enough guilt to carry around. He wasn't going to add her to that list. 

He pulled his hand away from hers and moved away from her towards the exit. “You should stay away from me. It’s for the best.”

He was gone before she could even process what had just happened.

When the Deputy pulled up in front of her house to let her out she knew she was in trouble. Both her dad and brother were standing in the doorway with their arms crossed over their chests. They had no right to be angry, she was the one that was angry and this was the last thing she wanted to deal with right now.

She stopped in front of the two men and shrunk a little under her father’s gaze, “In the living room now.”

She walked past him and took a seat on the couch waiting for the lecture headed her way but her brother's voice cut in first. 

“Derek Hale? Really? Come on Carly he’s not even that good looking,” 

She gave him a look that matched their father’s and Stiles shut up and took a seat on the couch next to her. 

“Both of you need to stop running around playing detectives and start focusing on just being kids. What were you thinking talking to a suspected murderer?”

“He didn’t do it dad. I knew he didn’t do it. Derek isn’t the bad guy here.”

“No. Don’t even start down that road. From now on you are going to stay away from Derek Hale. Both of you.”

Carly stared at her father before getting off the couch and storming up to her room. The door slammed shut causing her dad to flinch and collapse exhausted onto the chair. 

“Girls.” Stiles shook his head and their dad threw a pillow at him.

“Go to bed, Stiles.”


	3. Chapter 3

Carly sits her tray down at the table across from Issac and stabs at the food. “How is this even allowed to be considered food?”

Isaac watched her and shrugged not interested in eating anything off his own plate either. “Are you mad at the food, your brother, or Derek?” 

“Can I be mad at all three? This food is disgusting, my brother is an overprotective idiot, and Derek..” She stabbed the meat on her tray hard and the fork snapped in half. “I mean it’s not even like there is a Derek and me for him to be worried about. He doesn’t worry like this when we hang out.”

Isaac tried not to laugh but even he knew that despite what Carly was going to keep telling herself it was lies. “Yeah but we’re not dating.”

“Derek and I aren’t dating either. He doesn’t even want anything to do with me anymore. He’s off doing something stupid and probably getting himself into even more trouble.” She turns when she hears a bunch of commotion over at her brother and Scott’s table. Seeing the crowd around it she rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I find it hard to believe that we’re related let alone twins.”

Isaac pushed his tray away and leaned forward in the chair, “Carly maybe it’s not just because of your feelings or not feelings for Derek that’s got Stiles bothered. Have you figured out yet what’s going on with them? Maybe Derek’s involved.”

He had a point and Carly knew it. “No. I mean ok maybe he is somehow involved. I don’t think they’d try to pin a murder on if there wasn’t more going on but you didn’t see him last night. He really doesn’t like me hanging around Derek.”

“Well he is older than us. Can’t you just find a nice guy our age to go out with?”

“There’s something about Derek that I can’t describe. Yeah, he’s hot but when I’m with him it feels like..it feels familiar. Normal. Lately I’ve been feeling out of place. Even at home. Like I don’t really belong there. Ever since we turned 16 it’s like I feel different. Everything’s been so weird and I don’t know maybe I’m crazy but something’s not right.” She smirked as an idea formed in her brain. “If Derek doesn’t want to be around me fine. But he does owe me a favor.”

“This isn’t going to end well is it?”

Carly grabbed the extra blankets out of her bedroom closet and stuffed them in the duffel bag. There was still a curfew so she was going to have to be careful. If her dad caught her she’d be grounded for life. She grabbed her jacket and slipped it on before heading towards the door, stopping dead in her tracks when her brother stepped out of the kitchen.

“Where are you going?”

“Uh..To Isaac's. We’re gonna study and watch movies. Probably order some bad food.” She shrugged and tried to slip past her brother but he moved into her way again. “What?”

“Why isn’t Isaac picking you up? And since when do you bring a duffel bag to his house? You’re going to see Derek aren’t you? Dad told you to stay away from him. He’s dangerous, Carly.”

“Listen, you’re my brother not my dad so stop trying to control my life. You and Scott have your secrets I’m allowed to have mine. Besides you’ll be pleased to know that Derek doesn’t want anything to do with me anymore. Your doing I’m sure, so thanks. As for the duffel I need a few extra things tonight since Isaac and I are going to be having sex. Are you happy?”

At the stunned look on her brother’s face she took her opportunity to get past him and hop on her bike before he pulled himself together. The Hale house was a hike but she made good time. She really needed to get her own car one of these days. Hopping off her bike she pulled out her phone to call Isaac and warn him but his voicemail picked up, “Hey Isaac. It’s me uhh so I kind of told Stiles we’re having sex. Just thought I should give you a heads up in case he shows up at your door with his basket full of crazy. Call me.”

Derek had smelt her coming before she’d come into view and prepared himself to stand in the shadows until she was gone. He had thought she would have given up but she was stubborn. His ears perked up when he heard her on the phone and he listened in, his hands balled into fists as he tried to remain calm. Who was Isaac? The urge to kill him was hard to fight in the moment but then her footsteps came closer and regained his control. 

“Derek? Are you here? I know you said to stay away but you kind of owe me and I need your help.”

Suddenly he was standing behind her and she whipped around faster than should have been humanly possible.

“I owe you?”

“Yeah. I helped you with my dad..kind of?”

Derek smirked not at all convinced but amused and decided to play along, “All right so what exactly is it you need my help with?”

Carly tossed him the duffel bag, “That’s for you. Just some extra blankets, candles, which now seems like a stupid idea, some food. If you’re staying here I figured you could probably use a few things.”

Derek looked at the bag and then at her again trying to figure out why she was like this. No one had ever been this nice to him just because they could. Even Scott who was supposed to be like a saint still didn’t trust him but this normal, ordinary girl was always going out of her to help him.

“Thank you.”

“Yeah well not going to have you freezing to death on my conscience. Besides like I said I need your help. I need you to help me break into my medical records. Maybe my mother’s I’m not sure I just need to know the truth.”

Derek set the bag down and took a seat on the stairs, watching her as she struggled with whatever was going on in her head. 

“Why do we need to break into your medical records?”

“Something’s wrong. Ever since I turned 16 something has felt different. I’ve been different. You’ve seen it. I end up places I shouldn’t be, I find things I shouldn’t know exist, I clearly have no sense of self preservation..”

She was rambling and it reminded Derek of someone he used to know, his eyes flashed blue and he closed them before she noticed.

“There’s no pictures of me as a baby. The obligatory hospital shots, the ultrasounds, we don’t have any of that. Nothing. To be fair there’s none of Stiles either but don’t you think that’s weird? Every parent keeps those things. Has those things.”

Derek wasn’t convinced but it was clear she needed this and so he was going to help her. It was apparently going to be hard to say no. 

“So what’s the plan?”

Carly finally calmed down after her rant took a seat next to him on the stairs. She didn’t know how he always made her feel so safe. “Tomorrow. We go to the hospital, I’ll distract Mrs McCall and get her ID card. You’ll get into the records room and see what you can find while I keep look out. It’s easier for me to find an excuse to be there.”

“You’re sure you want to do this? If you are right, is it going to change anything? It’s not going to make you feel better. Trust me your dad and brother, that’s your family. No matter what we find out. Are you willing to risk that?”

“I have to know the truth. I have to know that I’m not going crazy. Or maybe I am. If this is real, if I am who they tell me I am then maybe I have what my mom did. Maybe I am going nuts and that’s why this is happening.” She gets to her feet and starts to walk away from him but he grabs her and pulls her back to him.

“You are not crazy. I know crazy.”

“I should go. Curfew and everything.”

She tries to pull away again but he grabs her hand in his, “Who’s Isaac?”

She’s surprised by his question but then realizes he must have heard her on the phone and tries to hide the smile fighting its way onto her face.

“He’s my friend. My best friend.”

“Not your boyfriend?”

Carly laughs and shakes her head, “No. Not my boyfriend.”

“Good.” 

Before she can say anything Derek has pulled her back to him and his lips are one hers. It feels like a dream and for a second she stops breathing. Her head is spinning as her hands find his chest and she can feel warmth radiating from him. Then he pulls away and the cold air hits her like a ton of bricks. 

“You should go. Don’t need your dad showing up with his shotgun trying to find you.”

Carly just nodded and turned leaving the house, her head still spinning because Derek Hale had just kissed her. She had not expected that. She grabbed her bike and started to climb on but something stopped her, off to the edge of the woods are two red eyes. When she started to move towards them they vanished. “What the hell?”

Stiles was pacing, he had probably worn a hole in the carpet at this point but he didn’t care. Finally a thump came from the room next door and he knew his sister was home. He burst through her door without knocking and closed it behind him. Any argument he had been about to make left him when he saw the happiness etched on his sisters face. That was until she saw him and it was replaced by annoyance. It’d been a long time since he’d seen his sister that happy.

“How’s Isaac?”

Carly looked confused for a second before remembering the lie she had told him and turned on her bedside lamp. 

“Great. I left him very satisfied.” 

“Gross. I didn’t..” He shivered at the implication of her words. He did not need to know about her sex life. “So you two are like a thing now?” 

Carly kicked off her shoes and slipped off her jacket, “You wanted me to stay away from Derek. Derek wants me to stay away from him so I’m staying away. Isaac is my best friend. We’re..figuring it out. No labels.”

She hated lying to him, especially when she could tell how hard he was trying not to go into over protective brother mode. She couldn’t tell him the truth though.

“Okay. Good. I’m just happy that you’re you know..happy. Just..don’t get pregnant because Dad will kill him and I kind of like Isaac. You know because he looks out for you and stuff.”

Carly laughed and nodded, “Don’t worry. That’s not going to happen.”

Stiles pulled a package out of his pocket and tossed it to her, “Your meds came today. I forgot to give them to you earlier with everything going on.”

Carly caught the package and tore it open pulling out the bottle inside and adding it to the ones lining her desk. She’d been on meds for as long as she could remember. The doctors said she had a chemical imbalance due to complications with childbirth. Her body wasn’t able to create a balance on its own so the meds helped. They were expensive but by going through a mail order company they’d been able to get them for nothing. Every month like clockwork they came in the mail and every month she debated throwing them away and seeing what happened. They tasted like dirt but the fear that the consequences of not taking them would be much worse always changed her mind.

“You should get some sleep.” He turned to leave but stopped and made his way over to her, pulling her into a hug. “I know we haven’t been on the same page lately but I’m always in your corner. You know that, right?”

Carly nodded and tried not to let her emotions get the better of her, “I know.” It was what Stilinski men did. They protected the people they cared about and she knew that’s all Stiles was trying to do. Didn’t mean she had to like it though.


	4. Chapter 4

Carly was bored. She sighed and leaned back in her chair wishing the bell would just ring already and she could stop listening to the teacher go on and on about the quadratic equation. Math had to be the worst subject. Whoever thought of it had clearly done it because they hated kids. Suddenly she got a familiar feeling of warmth and it made her sit up in her chair. “Derek.”

In the hallway Derek froze when he heard his name from her lips. There was no way she could know that he was here. He needed to find Scott fast. The bell rang and Derek flinched but he could smell her and it was getting closer. He headed for the doors as fast as he could. 

As soon as the bell rang Carly grabbed her things and ran. She could swear that she had felt him. She didn’t know how to explain it or why he was here but he was. She searched the hallway before hearing all the noise outside. Heading out she saw her brother pulling away in the Jeep with.. “Derek?”

This didn’t make any sense and now she was stranded at school with no way to get home. Then Isaac was at her side. 

“I can give you a ride. We probably have a lot to talk about anyway. If that message you left me means anything.”

Carly was still lost in thought trying to figure out why on earth Derek was in her brother’s Jeep that she almost didn’t process anything Isaac was saying.

“Hello earth to Carly.”

“Sorry. I thought I just saw Derek in Stiles Jeep. I’m going crazy. It’s official.”

She followed him down the steps and towards his car as the parking lot started to clear of students.

“You’re not crazy. I mean Derek and your brother hanging out? That’s crazy but you were probably just thinking about him and so you thought you saw him. It’s totally normal. I think. It happens in the movies all the time.”

She laughed and rolled her eyes, “I could have sworn it was real. But you’re right. Probably just in my head. I haven’t been able to get him out since last night.”

Isaac looks at her as he starts to drive away from the school, “Speaking of last night. You told your brother we were having sex? Are you crazy?”

Carly shrugged, “It was the first thing that came into my head. Plus I knew you’d cover for me. If I had told him that I was sneaking out to see Derek he would have locked me in a closet. I’m not even kidding.”

Isaac had no problem believing Stiles was capable of doing just that. He was prone to dramatics and doing anything he had to in order to keep his sister safe.

“So what exactly happened with you and Derek last night?”

Carly grinned as she looked out the window replaying the kiss over in her head for the millionth time.

Stiles doesn’t know how he ended up in this situation, driving around the last person he wanted to be around but he knew that Scott needed him and if anything happened to Derek his sister would be devastated. 

“Try not to bleed out on my seats, okay? We're almost there.”

“AImost where?”

“Your house.”

“What? No, you can't take me there.”

“I can't take you to your own house?” 

“Not when I can't protect myself.”

Stiles pulls off to the side of the road growing increasingly annoyed and far less afraid of the werewolf than he would be if he didn’t look like he was about to die any minute.

“What happens if Scott doesn't find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?”

“Not yet. I have a last resort.”

“What do you mean? What Iast resort?” Derek pulls up the sleeve of his shirt to reveal the bullet hold. “Oh, my God! What is that? Oh, is that contagious? You know what, you should probably just get out.”

“Start the car. Now.”

“I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look. In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead.”

“Start the car, or I'm gonna rip your throat out with my teeth.”

Stiles starts the car again not having any idea where he’s driving. 

“If you survive this you owe me. Stay away from my sister.”

Derek looked at Stiles for the first time with actual respect. Like he was a real person and not just Scott’s weird friend. 

“I’ve tried that. Your sister can be very stubborn when she wants to be.”

“Well try harder. She’s got enough stuff going on she doesn’t need you and all of this crap too. She deserves a normal life.”

“You think Scott is safer for her to be around? He can hardly control himself.”

“Scott would never hurt her.”

“Neither would I.”

“Maybe not physically but I’ve seen the look. The way she looks at you. The way she looks after being with you. I’ve never seen her that happy. Not with anyone. You’re a werewolf and at the end of the day you’re always going to break her heart. So just stay away from her.”

Derek doesn’t respond because for once he actually agrees with him. He is a werewolf and being with him would mean putting Carly in danger and just the idea makes him sick to his stomach.

Carly was standing outside the hospital checking her phone for the hundredth time tonight. She’d been standing out here for over two hours now. Derek was late. All kinds of ideas were rushing through her head now. What if he was hurt, or if he got arrested again, what if Stiles did something? She was being dramatic, she knew that. He wasn’t coming. It was now perfectly clear to her that last night had changed nothing and he was back to pushing her away. Well that was just fine. She was fine without him. As she got on her bike and rode away she didn’t notice Derek standing in the shadows watching her.

“Hey. Yeah he didn’t show. Is it okay if I spend the night? I do not want to go home right now. Thanks.”

Hanging up the phone she slipped it into her pocket before getting on her bike and heading to Isaac’s. As soon as she’s out of sight Derek slips into the hospital.

Stiles walks into his room, dropping his things in a heap on the floor before switching on the lights. He turns when he hears a noise in the corner and falls back onto his bed seeing Derek standing in his room.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

Stiles scrambles to his feet and checks to make sure his dad wasn’t coming to check on him. Carly was staying at Isaac’s for the night so he was clear.

“We need to talk about this.”

He drops a folder onto Stiles bed and the boy opens it, reading the papers inside.

“Why do you have my mom's medical file? And Carly’s? What is this?”

“Your sister asked me to look into it. I was supposed to meet her tonight to steal these but as far as she knows I stood her up. Like you asked. But we both know she’s not going to give up that easily and given what’s in there..if we want to protect her we can’t let her see this.”

Stiles looks down at the papers again re reading them, “This has to be wrong. We’re twins. Twins means two babies not one.”

“Well according to that file your mom only had one child. A boy.”

“This can’t be right. Someone altered these. She’s my sister. Where did she come from? She’s been in my life since we were born. People don’t just suddenly appear.”

“I don’t know but if Carly reads this you know what’s going to happen. It’s going to break her. Which is why I made these.”

He pulls another folder out of his coat that’s identical to the one Stiles is holding. “We burn that folder and replace it with this one. The one that says Claudia Stilinski gave birth to twins. One boy and one girl. Now we’re even.”

He goes to climb out of Stiles's window but is stopped by the boys voice.

“You really do care don’t you? About Carly.”

“She’s the only person who looks at me and doesn’t see a monster.”

“Huh, you sure it’s not just the six pack?”

Derek raises an eyebrow at Stiles, “Where is she?”

“She’s staying the night at Isaac’s.” Noticing the way Derek stiffens Stiles continues. “They’re not dating. I think she’s trying to convince me they are so I back off but it’s obvious that no one compares to you in her eyes. I don’t get it but..”

Before he can finish Derek is gone.

Carly is curled up on the couch with her head in Isaac’s lap. His dad walks in and wishes them both a goodnight unphased by the familiar sight. Isaac always flinches when his dad is around and Carly knows it’s because he has a temper. She’d tried to get Isaac to let her tell her dad but he’d refused. It seemed like it was getting better and with Carly around he knew his dad wouldn’t dare. When they heard the click of his dads door closing Carly sat up but stayed pressed against Isaac’s side. 

“Thanks for letting me crash here tonight. I didn’t really want to go home and face Stiles. The I told you so speech I would have gotten was just not appealing.”

“You’re always welcome here, you know that. So does this mean you’re done with the whole Derek Hale thing now? We’re moving on.”

“Yeah. I don’t need his help. I can find out the truth on my own. Besides maybe you were right. Maybe I do need to find a boyfriend my own age.”

Before Isaac has a chance to say anything she’s pressing her lips to his and he doesn’t hesitate to kiss her back. He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her into his lap. Neither of them notice Derek standing in the window his eyes flashing blue before he turns and there’s the sound of crunching metal. 

Carly pulls away, “What was that?”

Issac was still lost in the fact that this was happening. He’d had a crush on her pretty much since they were in diapers but there had been Scott and then Derek. But now it was finally happening. 

“Nothing. Get back here.”

Smiling she leaned back in and kissed him again. He wasn’t Derek and she knew this was probably unfair to him. He was her best friend and she never wanted to hurt him. Maybe with some time things would change. Her feelings would change. She just needed to forget about Derek.

The next morning on their way to the car they notice the mailbox bent in half at the end of the driveway. 

“How..”

“Someone must have hit it last night. Come on, I’m starving.”


	5. Chapter 5

Carly sits in the back seat of the cruiser while her Dad and Stiles are in the front sorting through take out bags. It was supposed to be a family dinner night but her dad got called into work. She was used to it and Stiles lived for this. As long as they were together Carly could care less where they were or what they were doing.

“Did they forget my curly fries?”

“You’re not supposed to eat fries. Especially the curly ones.”

“I am carrying a lethal weapon. If I want the curly fries, I will have the curly fries.”

“If you think getting rid of contractions in your sentences makes your argument any more legitimate, you are wrong.”

Carly just smiles watching her brother and Dad bicker before handing her Dad her own fries through the window. Before Stilinski can respond, the radio buzzes to life. 

“Unit One, do you copy?”

Both men reach for the CB at the same instant, hands knocking into each other. Stilinski throws a look at his son who backs off and goes back to his food. 

“Force of habit.”

“Unit One, copy.”

“Got a report of a possible 187.”

Stiles looks up while stuffing a handful of their father’s fries into his mouth. And locks eyes with Carly who’s now paying attention. 

“A murder?”

Without an answer the Sheriff is resigned to the fact he now has to bring his kids to a crime scene with him. Stilinski’s car roars into the lot of the video store, pulling up next to two other Deputy Sheriff cruisers. Stilinski turns to his kids with a serious look on his face even if he knows it’s pointless. 

“Stay here.”  


He hurries out to confer with his Deputies. Stiles sits impatiently while taking in the store’s shattered window, the knocked over shelves and... Lydia and Jackson being led out. 

“No. Way.”

“Leave it Stiles. Lydia Martin barely even knows you’re alive.”

Ignoring her, Stiles gets out of the car to get a closer look at what's going on, his curiosity always getting the better of him. Carly is content to stay in the car at least for a few seconds until she gets that feeling. Knocking on the window she motions for her brother to let her out. Climbing out of the car she looks around trying to find the source of the feeling but she’s starting to think she’s imagined all of it. She doesn’t notice above her on the roof Derek is looking down at the scene with Scott and he stumbles when he sees her. Scott notices but doesn’t say anything in the moment.

“Starting to get it?” 

“I get that he’s killing people. But I don’t get why. I mean this isn’t standard practice, right? We don’t just go out in the middle of the night murdering everyone, do we?” 

“No. We’re predators but we don’t have to be killers.” 

“So why’s he a killer?” 

“That’s what we’re going to find out.”

Scott follows Derek into the dark recesses of the Hale home. He doesn’t like coming here, it makes him nervous. He doesn’t know how Derek can stay here after everything that happened.

“You know, I have a life too.”

“No, you don’t.”

“Yes, I do. I don’t care what you say about him making me his pet--”

“Part of his pack.”

“Whatever. I have homework. I have to be at a parent/teacher conference tomorrow because I’m failing Chemistry.”  


“You want to do homework? Or do you want to not die? You have less than a week until the full moon. You don’t kill with him? He kills you.”

“Seriously, who made up these rules?”

“It’s a rite of passage into his pack.”

“You know what else is a rite of passage? Graduating high school. And you don’t have to kill anyone to do it. How come you can’t find him yourself? Why don’t you just sniff him out when he’s human?”

“Because his human scent could be entirely different. It has to be you. You have a connection with him, a link you can’t understand. If I can teach you to control your abilities, you can find him.”

“If I help find him, can you stop him?”

“Not alone. We’re stronger in numbers. A pack makes the individual more powerful.”

“How am I supposed to help when I don’t have a clue what I’m doing?”

“I’m going to teach you. Remember what happened that first night you were shot in the arm? Right after you were hit?”

“I changed back.”

“And when you were hit by his car? The same thing, right? What’s the common denominator?”

Scott shakes his head and Derek grabs his hand, closing his fist over Scott’s. The bones break under the pressure sending Scott groaning and crumbling to his knees. 

“What the hell’s your problem?”

“It’ll heal.”

“It still hurt!”

“And that’s what keeps you human. Pain.”

Scott opens his hand, fingers straightening out, the sound of bones snapping back into place.  


“Maybe you will survive.”

“Is that why you’re such a jerk?”

Derek turns back to him a mix of anger and confusion on his face. 

“Carly. I saw what happened back there when you saw her. You stand here and lecture me but you’re doing the same thing.”

Derek angrily makes his way back over to Scott.

“It’s not the same thing. You are constantly putting her and your friends in danger. I’m trying to keep Carly out of danger.”

“How’s that working out for you?”

Derek doesn’t answer him and just turns and walks off into the shadows of his house. Scott pulls himself to his feet and he smells it, Carly. Walking into the living room he sees a blanket and picks it up recognizing it. Setting the blanket back down he turns to leave. 

The bell rings and Carly makes a beeline for the door, glad to be out of Math and finds her way to her locker. She can feel it again. That warm, safe feeling that she had associated with Derek and she wants it to just go away. He made it clear he doesn’t want anything to do with her so why can’t he just leave her alone. The crowds in the hallway start to thin and she locks eyes with him. She can’t believe he’s actually here. Before she can process what she’s seeing Isaac is in front of her leaning in to kiss him. She forces a smile on her face as she kisses him back and grabs his hand. 

“Come on. Don’t want to be late for History.”

She turns without looking back and misses the way Derek’s eyes narrow as he watches them. His control slipping as he watches them walk away. He’d never been so out of control in his life and the fact that one girl could do this to him was driving him insane. He needed to be in control right now. He finds his way over to her locker and slides the falsified medical records into them before turning to leave. He passes Stiles on his way out and the boy gives him a look of pity that just makes Derek hate him even more.

Stiles is sitting at his desk with his phone in his hand when a knock makes him jump. The door clicks open and his dad is standing there. 

“Please tell me I’m going to hear good news at the parent teacher thing tonight.”

“That depends on how you define good news.”

“I define it as you getting straight A’s with no behavioral issues.”

“You might want to rethink your definition of good news.”

“Say no more.”

Carly walks through the hallway towards her room but gets stopped by her dad at Stiles door.

“What about you?”

“Picture of perfection right here, Daddy.”

She smiles and her brother rolls his eyes. 

“Right”

The Sheriff turns to walk back to the living room but is stopped by his son.

“Dad-- You guys find out what it was that attacked Lydia and Jackson last night?”

“You know I can’t talk about that.”

“But everybody’s thinking mountain lion, right?”

“It’s the best we’ve got at the moment. We’re setting traps, talking to Animal Control. You don’t have to worry.”

“It’s not that. It’s... forget it. “

“You sure? “

Stiles nods and his father walks away leaving his kids alone. Stiles nods towards the folder in his sisters hands knowing what it is but waiting for her to tell him. 

“What’s that?”  


“Nothing. Just some extra credit work for Math.”

She turns and leaves and Stiles frowns because she had just lied to his face again. They were both hiding secrets now and he could feel the wedge between them growing. He didn’t care what some piece of paper said she was his sister.

Carly was running again with no destination in mind. Everything felt like it was getting away from her lately. Animal attacks, lying to her brother, trying to act like everything was okay when she was clearly going crazy. Isaac, Derek. She shook her head to erase him from her head. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t go there anymore. Turning up her music she didn’t notice Derek running straight at her. But suddenly she was wrapped in his arms and they were hurtling towards the ground. She landed on top of him and her phone went flying, pulling her headphones out of her ears. She took a second to realize what had just happened and then looked down to see him beneath her, shirtless. 

“Derek?”

Scrambling she rolled off him and to her feet. Her heart was beating out of her chest and she really needed a new hobby. Running was clearly not working for her anymore. She had been betrayed by her own feet.

“What are you doing out here?” She forced herself to look away from him and busied herself looking for her phone. 

Derek didn’t know how he hadn’t smelled her until it was too late. She was too close to danger and now he was reminded of all the traces of her in his house. The hunters. He grabbed her phone off the ground and then grabbed her by the arm pulling her further away from his house.

“Let me go. What is wrong with you?”

She yanked her arm out of his grip and stepped away from him.

“I get it okay. You don’t want me hanging around. Got the message loud and clear. But maybe you should stop coming to my school and following me. It’s kind of creepy.”

Derek is surprised by her words but he doesn’t blame her. He had been sending mixed signals lately because he knew what he wanted but he also knew what was best for her. 

“You think I don’t want to be around you? That’s all I want but it’s too dangerous.”  


“Why? Why is it so dangerous to be around you?”

Derek doesn’t answer and just looks back towards his house listening for any hint that the hunters were coming this way.

“Right. Stay away from me Derek. I’m really just over the whole game.”

She takes her phone from him and runs off leaving him watching her speechless.

Stilinski waits as Coach Finstock rifles through papers on a desk and then finally looks up in confusion. 

“Who’s your daughter?”

“Son. You said you wanted to talk about my son.”

“Who’s your son?”

“Stiles.”

“Right, right, Stiles. Hold on, I thought Stiles was his last name.”

“His last name is Stilinski.”

“You named your son Stiles Stilinski?”

“No, it’s just what he likes to be called.”

“Well I like to be called Cupcake. What’s his real name?”

Stilinski taps a finger on one of the papers on Coach’s desk and he pulls out the folder to look at the name written on it. 

“How do you even pronounce that?”

“It was his mother’s father’s name.” 

“You must have really loved your wife.”

“I did.”

“Oh. Well, This just became incredibly awkward.”

“How about we get on to the conference part of this conference, cupcake?”

“I like the way you think. So, Stiles. Great kid. Zero ability to focus...Super smart. Never takes advantage of his talents.” 

“How do you mean?”

“For the final question on his midterm he detailed the history of male circumcision.”

Stilinski shifts uncomfortably in his chair. 

“Well, that does have historical significance, right?”

“I teach economics.”

“Crap. What about my daughter?”

Coach looks at him confused and shuffles around the papers on his desk.

“Daughter?”

“Carly. Carly Stilinski. His twin sister.”

Something seems to click for Coach and he looks surprised as he pulls out Carly’s folder.

“Twins. Geez never would have imagined that. Carly is a great student. She’s an A student and generally as good a student as you can hope for. Lately she’s seemed distracted though. Not enough to impact her grades it seems but I’ve caught her staring off into space a few times.”


	6. Chapter 6

Carly’s in the kitchen making breakfast when he dad makes his way to the table. He’s moving stiffly and it’s clear that he's still hurt from the other night. 

“Shouldn’t you be at school?”

“I called in a mental health day. You need someone to look after you and I can afford to take a day off from school. Don’t worry, I sent Stiles off.”

She sets a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast down in front of him along with a glass of water and two aspirin.

“You should still be in school. I’m the parent. It’s my job to take care of you.”

He sounds more defeated than angry as he starts to eat the breakfast in front of him. Carly sits down at the table next to him and snacks on a piece of bacon.

“Dad, we’re a family. We take turns taking care of each other. It’s okay to need help sometimes. I know it’s your job to protect Beacon Hills, Stiles and I are so proud of you but sometimes you need to take care of yourself. We need you too.”

The Sheriff puts down his fork and reaches over to grab his daughter's hand. “I’m sorry. I know I’ve been..preoccupied with work lately and I haven’t spent as much time with you kids as I should.”

Carly smiles and shrugs, “It’s okay. We know you’re doing something important. I just..I need my dad around. You can not leave me with just Stiles. Could you imagine that? Everytime Isaac came over he’d just be sitting in your chair glaring at us.”

The Sheriff chuckled at the image, “So you and Isaac...that’s a thing now? You kids are dating?”

Carly groaned as much as she wanted father daughter time talking about her love life was not something she enjoyed doing with him. 

“Yeah I guess. We haven’t really talked about it but it’s different now.”

Her father watches as she turns back to her bacon and avoids his gaze and that’s all he needs to see to know she’s happy. 

“You know you and Isaac have been friends for a long time but sometimes friends are just that. Friends. They don’t have to be more. Especially when your hearts are not in it.”

She looked up at her father, he always seemed to know what she was thinking before even she did. She wasn’t sure if it was a cop thing or a dad thing but sometimes it was just annoying.

“Dad..”

“No, I’m not exactly thrilled about the idea of you having a crush on Derek Hale. I still stand by my word about not wanting you around him. But there’s a difference. The way you were with him and the way you are with Isaac. I’m not saying by any means you should go out with Derek but you shouldn’t be with Isaac if he’s not really who you want. There’s nothing wrong with being happy being single. Look at me.”

Carly smiles and nods going back to her breakfast.

Carly knew her dad was right and as she walked into the care home for her shift that day she was trying to find a way to break it to Isaac without breaking his heart. Making her way to Peter’s bed she found him in his usual spot looking out the window. 

“You know today instead of staring at the outside maybe you and I can go for a walk.” 

She checks his chart just to make sure there’s nothing medically that would keep him inside and when it says he’s okay for walks she smiles and grabs the back of his chair. Once outside she heads towards the garden and slows down so they can enjoy it.

“This is much better. Whenever I’m having a bad day or I need to get out of my head a little I always go for a run. Lately it seems like I’ve been spending more time running than anything else. Your nephew is kind of a jerk by the way. He thinks he can just kiss me and then blow me off. Clearly he didn’t get his charm and good manners from you.”

She finds a bench and pushes him over towards it, turning him so he can see the view of the garden. 

“Yesterday a mountain Lion found its way into the school parking lot. Of course my dad tried to play hero and ended up getting himself injured. I spent my morning taking care of him because that’s what I do. I’m the perfect child who just cleans up everyone else’s mess. They have no idea what’s going on with me right now. They haven’t even asked everyone’s just so busy with their own things. Keeping their own secrets. It’s nice to be able to talk to someone who doesn’t have any. Though I have a feeling if you could talk you’d have some stories of your own. You Hale’s all have a dark side, don't you?” 

Later that day Peter is back in his wheelchair, pointed to the window. Bright sunlight warms one side of his face while his burns lie in shadow. Derek enters the room, reaches out and slowly turns the chair around. He sits down on the bed, pulling his uncle toward him and he smells it. Carly. He had missed it when he first walked in but it was unmistakable now. She was everywhere in the room and it caused him to falter for a minute. He tilts his head trying to match Peter’s listless gaze. 

“Peter?”

Derek waves a hand in front of the man’s eyes but he doesn’t even blink. 

“I need your help. If you can hear me, I need you to give me a sign. Anything. Blink or raise a finger. Just something to point me in the right direction.”

Peter stares forward, seeming almost to look through Derek. 

“Someone killed Laura. Your niece, Laura. Whoever he is, he’s an Alpha now. But one without a pack. Which means he’s not as strong. I can take him. But I have to find him first. Give me a sign if you know anything. Is it one of us? Did someone else survive the fire?”

Still no response. No movement of any kind. 

“If you know anything, just blink. Raise a finger. Anything…”

He waits. But his uncle simply stares and he starts to lose his temper.

“Say something!”

Derek grips his uncle's hands practically trying to shake a response out of him but nothing. The booming sound of Derek’s voice has brought the attention of his nurse.

“Let him go.”

Derek whips his head around to see a nurse standing in the door and he’s just relieved it’s not Carly.

“You think after all this time, yelling at him is going to get a response?”  
“You have a better method?”

“Patience. He’ll respond if you give him the time.”

Derek turns to leave, he needs to get out of here before he runs into Carly. He can feel her nearby and the last thing he wants is for her to see him in this state. 

“I don’t have any more time.”

Derek quickly heads to his Camaro in the parking lot of the hospital. Unlocking it, he reaches for the door when he notices a piece of paper slipped under the windshield wiper. He pulls it out, slowly unfolding it, then reading with interest.

“Derek wait!”

He looks up, turning back to the hospital to see Carly running out after him. He crumples the paper in his hand and stuffs it into his pocket as she walks over to him and puts her hand on his arm. 

“Are you okay? I know they still don’t have any leads on your sister. That has to be frustrating but you can’t let it drive you crazy. This place only has room for one crazy person and I’m pretty sure I’ve already taken that title.”

Derek didn’t know what was going on. She was supposed to be pissed at him and here she was trying to comfort him. The worst part was that it was working. The second she had put her hand on his arm he had felt himself relax. 

“You’re not crazy. You were going through something and you questioned things. That’s smart. It is weird that your parents don’t have anything from when you were born.”

He was terrified that she would be able to read the lies coming out of his mouth. She always seemed to be able to read him so well.

“Must be a Stilinski trait. Look, I know we’re not on the best of terms but if you need anything you know you can always ask. I can stow being mad at you for a little while.”

Derek moves his hand to lace his fingers with her and uses his free hand to cup her face. He felt like it had been too long since he’d been able to be this close to her. To feel the warmth she gave to him. 

“I’m okay. Just frustrated.”

He pulls away from her more gently than he had in the past but he knows this is wrong. She has a boyfriend and he’s still a werewolf. Being with him is too dangerous, especially with the Alpha out there.

“You should go back to work. Make sure Isaac picks you up tonight. You shouldn’t be out on your bike after dark.”

Carly was surprised that he knew about Isaac. That would explain why he pulled away from her so quickly after pulling her closer. If anything she knew now that she had to tell Isaac the truth. Even if nothing was ever going to come of her and Derek the feelings were there between the both of them and it wasn’t fair.

“Whatever you’re doing, promise me you’ll be safe.”

Derek didn’t answer her and instead moved to get in his car leaving her standing there watching her. He couldn’t take making a promise he wasn’t sure he could keep.

Isaac knocked on the front door to the Stilinski house. He knew before he got here what this was about. Part of him was actually a little relieved she had finally decided to call it. At first finally being with had been everything he imagined but quickly it became very apparent to him that her heart wasn’t in it. After some time he realized his wasn’t either. He had wanted it so bad but in the end his feelings for her had never really been anything more than just as her best friend. Carly opened the front door and let him in, taking his hand and leading him towards her bedroom. They were alone in the house but she still felt like they needed the privacy of her room. Sitting on the bed she avoided his gaze as she tried to figure out how to say what she needed to say. Isaac saw her struggle and sat next to her, taking her hand in his. 

“It’s okay. I know you’re not in love with me. I’m not in love with you either. I think we both felt like we had to be. That’s what everyone always tells us, that’s what happens in the movies. You needed someone to convince you that you didn’t love Derek. As your best friend I was the best option and I’m actually kind of honored. You trusted me enough to be the better option. But it’s probably best we stop trying to make this what it isn’t and just go back to being best friends.”

Carly stared at him for a few seconds before pulling him in for a hug.

“I’m sorry. You deserve someone great. You’re an amazing boyfriend and an even better best friend. I love you, you know.”  
“I know. Since I’m here though do you think you can help me with Chemistry.”

Carly laughs before nodding and grabbing her chemistry book from her desk.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As Carly would not have been involved in the events in episode 7 I haven't written for that episode and what follows is the events as told in episodes 8 and 9.

Carly is furious. She doesn’t even know who she’s supposed to be furious at so she’s decided being furious with everyone is the best option. Grabbing her bookbag off the desk chair in her room she makes her way through the house ignoring her brother who’s holding out a glass of juice for her. Their dad walks into the room getting ready for work and takes the glass.

“Carly--”

She turns to him with an icy glare, “No. You’re wrong. You’re both wrong. Derek didn’t do this. I don’t know why you’re lying but I’m going to find out. Isaac is giving me a ride.”

She turns and storms out of the house without another word. The sheriff sighs and takes a seat at the table looking at his son. 

“You’re sure it was Derek Hale?”

“Yeah..Yeah it was Derek.”

Stiles turns away and hurries out of the kitchen to his room. He knew his sister was going to be upset but thinking he’s a murderer is a better option than telling her he’s dead. Now he just had to hope that he could keep her from discovering the truth about everything else.

The second bell rings as Stiles peers down the hall to find his father, Sheriff Stilinski, step out of the school’s administrative offices with two other Deputies. He spots Stiles and holds up a “one minute” finger to the others. 

“Don’t you have a test to get to?”

“What’s going on? Did you find Derek yet?”

“We’re working on it. Go take your test. Go. “

“Dad, listen... This is important. You need to be careful tonight. Especially tonight.”

“I’m always careful.”

“Dad, you’ve never dealt with this kind of thing before. At least not like this.”

“I know. Which is why I brought in people who have. State Detectives.”  
He nods back to a group of men in suits talking to school administrators. One of them looks back to Stiles with a smile. 

“Now go.”

Neither man moves though as Carly turns down the hallway and stops when she sees her brother and father. Shaking her head she turns around and walks the other way. The Sheriff sighs and turns back to Stiles. 

“Exactly how close were your sister and Derek?”

“Uh..you know they were friends. She helped him, he helped her. She’s a teenage girl with a crush.”

“Which he could use.”

Stiles had never considered that Derek could use his sister as shield. But he was dead so she wasn’t in any danger from Derek. He couldn’t exactly tell his father that though.

“Go to class, Stiles.”

Scott and Stiles are racing through the streets in Derek’s Camaro. The police scanner in Scott’s lap leading them where they need to go. Spotting him they swing the car around so he can jump in and Scott whirls back to Derek.

“What part of laying low don’t you understand?”

“I had him.”

Stiles glances at Derek through the mirror as he drives through the streets trying to lose the cops and hunters.

“Who? The Alpha?”

“He was right in front of me. And then the idiot police show up.”

“Hey, hey, hey, they’re just doing their jobs.”

“Thanks to someone who decided to make me the most wanted fugitive in the state.”  
“Can we seriously get past that? Yes, I made a dumbass mistake. I get it.”

“How’d you find him”

Derek falls silent and turns to look out the window not sure if he wanted to tell them anything. He had been trying to help them and they’d turned him into a wanted fugitive. He could only imagine what Carly was thinking now.

“Can you try to trust us for half a second?”

“Both of us. You know my sister has been trying to find a way to clear your name. She’s probably the only person on this planet who actually likes you.”

Derek levels a homicidal glare at Stiles. He might be Carly’s brother but the urge to rip out his throat was always there and he knew the feeling was mutual.

“I told her she was crazy.”

“The last time I talked to my sister, she was close to figuring something out. She found two things. The first was a guy named Harris.”

“Our Chemistry teacher?”

“Why him?”

“I don’t know.”

“What’s the second?”

“Some kind of symbol.”

Derek pulls out a folded up piece of paper and opens it to show him a n image. Scott takes one look and lets out a hopeless sigh.

“What? You know what this is?”

“I’ve seen it. On a necklace. Allison’s necklace.”

Hurtling into his room, Stiles rips his bag off his back and jumps to his computer. He types while simultaneously trying to kick his chair underneath him to grab a seat. 

“Stiles?”

“Yes-- “

He turns around to face the door and sees Derek standing in the corner of his room.

“Derek?”

Stiles snaps his mouth shut as Derek rolls his eyes. The door clicks open, and his dad peers inside to find his son smiling up at him from his seat at the desk. 

“What did you say?”

“Yes, Dad?”

“Just headed back to work. But I’m coming tonight. Your first game.”

“Great.” 

The Sheriff doesn’t make a move to leave and instead the door is heard slamming open as Carly arrives and storms towards her bedroom. 

“We’ll both be there. I’m so unbelievably proud of you.”

“So am I. Very proud. Of myself.”

Stilinski turns to go and Stiles gets up to close the door but is stopped by his dad turning back around. 

“They’re really going to let you play this time?”

“Yes, Dad. I’m First Line.”

“So proud.”

Finally, Stiles clicks the door shut and sighs in relief. Derek however looks less than relieved now that Carly is in the room next door. He can hear her throwing things around in her room searching for something. But then she stops and looks up, her heart racing and he could almost believe she knew he was here.

“Scott didn’t get the necklace?”

“He’s still working on it. But there’s something else we can try. When we were trapped in the school that night Scott sent a text to Allison telling her to meet him there.”

“So?”

“So it wasn’t Scott.”

“Can you find out who sent the text?”

“No. But I know someone who can.”

School bag over his shoulder, Danny stands in Stiles’s room. Awkwardly like he’d rather be anywhere else.

“You want me to do what?”

“Trace a text.”

“I came here to do lab work. That’s what lab partners do. Your sister left by the way. She seemed pretty pissed.”

“Yeah, we’re not really on speaking terms at the moment. After you trace the text we can do all the lab work you want.” 

“What makes you think I know how?”

“I saw your arrest report.”

“I... that was... I was only thirteen. The charges were dropped. No. We’re doing lab work.”

Danny sits down next to him at the desk. Behind them, Derek sits in a chair by the bed trying to look inconspicuous while reading a book but it isn’t working. He was relieved when Carly left but then the fear had taken over about what she was going to do. What if the hunters had figured out about their relationship?

“Who is he again?”

“My cousin... um... Miguel.”

Derek glares over the magazine’s edge in disbelief and even Stiles cringes at his own stupidity. 

“Is that blood on his shirt?”

Derek’s T-shirt hangs torn and blackened by dried blood from being on the run. Neither of them had paid much attention to it until now.

“He gets horrible nosebleeds. Miguel, I thought I told you to just borrow one of my shirts?”

Glaring with even more fury, Derek slowly puts the magazine down and gets up to open Stiles’s dresser and goes through the clothes. 

“So, we both know you’ve got the skills to trace that text--”

“Stiles.”

Stiles glances back at Derek holding a shirt. 

“This... no fit.”

“Try something else.”

He turns back, but notices Danny gazing past him, eyes fixated on Derek’s bare, muscular torso as he grabs another shirt. A smile creeps over Stiles’s face. 

“That looks good. What do you think, Danny?”

“Huh?”

“The shirt?”

“It’s... It’s not exactly his color.”  
Annoyed, Derek pulls off the T-shirt, exposing his perfect abs once again. As Danny’s jaw drops open again, Stiles leans in to whisper in his ear. 

“Swing for a different team, but you still play ball, don’t you?”

“You’re a terrible person. No wonder your sister is pissed at you.”

“I know it keeps me awake at night. So about that text…”

“None of these fit.”

Derek pulls his shirt off again annoyed that he was being used as bait.

“I’ll need the ISP, the phone number and the exact time of the text.”

Stiles celebrates silently before turning back to Derek again.

“Try Carly’s room. I’m sure Isaac left something laying around.”

Allison steps inside the dark and lonely structure of Hale House and gazes around the charred walls, peering up the stairs. Stepping into the second room, she notices something on the floor. Kneeling to get a closer look, she finds four deep grooves scratched into the floor. Spreading her fingers out, she traces the lines, simulating for her own eyes how the grooves might have been scratched in by a human hand. Then she looks up and screams as her aunt Kate stands under the archway. 

“Damn, you’ve got some lungs on you.”

“Did you follow me here?”

“Can’t blame me for being concerned about my favorite niece, can you? What are you looking for?”

“I don’t know. Something. Anything.”

“You mean answers. To lingering questions. Like…”

“Why would he want to kill us?”

“Well, look at this place. Imagine if your father and I were trapped in something like this. Might do some interesting things to your head, don’t you think?”

“It wouldn’t turn me into a psychotic killer.”

“You don’t have to be psychotic to be a killer. You just need a reason. And even then... Sometimes you can surprise yourself. What do you want, Allison?”

“I want... I want to not be scared. That night in the school, I felt so utterly weak. Like I needed someone to come rescue me. I hate that feeling. I want to feel stronger than that. I want to feel powerful.”

“Allison, if you can give me just a little bit of time, be just a little patient... I think I can give you exactly what you want.”

Kate picks up a duffel bag that was laying next to a box and examines it. She didn’t know how they had missed it before.

“Where’d you get that?”

Allison got up and moved closer to her aunt taking in the sight of the familiar bag.

“You know who this belongs to?”

“Yeah it’s Carly’s. Carly Stilinski.”


	8. Chapter 8

Scott looked around and realized he was the only one left in the locker room, and quickly started to get dressed. But he’s barely zipped up his jeans when he hears someone approaching. He looks around but doesn’t see anyone.

“Danny?”

When no one responds, Scott peers around the corner, then breathes in relief when he sees Derek. 

“Thank God. Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what’s been going on?”

He stops when he notices Derek’s odd demeanor. He seems cold and distant, more so than usual. Slowly he turns to find Peter standing silhouetted in the darkness. His hand reaches into one of the open lockers to withdraw a lacrosse stick. 

“I don’t really get lacrosse. When I was in high school, we played basketball. That’s a real sport. But, I read somewhere that lacrosse comes from Native American tribes and that they sometimes played it to resolve conflicts. Am I right about that?”

He raises the stick and Scott waits for him to snap it in half or send it smashing against the lockers. But Peter just carefully sets it down again. 

“I’ve got a little conflict of my own to resolve, Scott. But I need your help to do it.”

“I’m not helping you kill people.”

“I don’t want to kill all of them. Just the responsible ones. Which doesn’t have to include…”

He looks to Derek for help remembering the name. 

“Allison.”

“You--You’re on his side now? Did you forget the part where he killed your sister?”

“It was a mistake.”

“What?”

“It happens.”

“What about Carly?”

Derek looks up and glares at Scott at the mention of the girl. Peter just smiles unaffected.

“Sweet Carly. She visited quite often when I was in the hospital. She wasn’t bothered by my appearance. She treated me like a normal human being. Apparently she has that effect on people. Or at least on Hales. She’ll be an excellent addition to the pack.”

Scott gazes at Derek in disbelief while Peter steps closer. Derek looks away again, not able to meet Scotts judgmental glare. Scott could tell that Derek was torn about his decision to let Peter turn Carly.

“I think you’re getting the wrong impression of us, Scott. We really just want to help you reach your potential.”

“By killing my friends.”

“Sometimes the people closest to you can be the ones holding you back the most.”

“If they’re holding me back from becoming a psychotic nutjob like you, I’m okay with that.”

Cornering him, Peter slowly lifts a hand to his face. 

“Maybe you could try seeing things from my perspective?”

His hand moves like a cobra striking, latching onto Scott. Fingernails rapidly extending to claws, they sink right into the back of the boy’s neck. For a brief second, Scott’s eyes flash yellow. Then Peter yanks his hand back, letting him tumble to the floor. Blinking furiously, strange images flash into Scott’s head. A dark room fills with black smoke, men and women trying to cover their mouths, coughing and screaming as-- Reddick and Unger, visible through a dirty basement window, toss liquid from five gallon jugs onto the house. They douse the windows as hands desperately grab for a door, trying to push it open while black, roiling smoke covers everything. Nurses gently lay Peter back onto a hospital bed. One undamaged eye blinks out from a face covered in white gauze bandages. Light seeps over his face, the brilliant white glow from a full moon. A now un-bandaged Peter sits up in bed, the moon almost seeming to pull at him, drawing him up to his feet. At the door stands his nurse, Jennifer, watching in astonishment as Someone steps through the woods, boots crushing leaves underneath her. Laura Hale looks through the shadows to see Peter in a hospital robe standing between the trees. He turns around to reveal one half of his face is covered in horrible burns. 

“Peter?”

She steps toward him, reaching for him while he gazes back at her almost in a trance. And then he opens his mouth revealing razor-sharp fangs. 

Carly might still be refusing to speak to her dad or her brother but she wasn’t going to miss the big game. Not for them, but for Isaac. Though it was hard not to notice her brother’s absence from said game. As the game ended she left before her dad could see her and waited by the side of the bleachers for Isaac when she’s approached by Kate Argent.

“Carly, right? You’re one of Allison’s friends.”

“I don’t think we could be considered friends when we’ve never had a conversation but sure.”

“You’ve got spunk, kid. I like you.”

She tosses the duffel she found in the Hake house at her and Carly catches it.

“Thought you might want that back. Your boyfriend won’t be needing it.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Right. You don’t know anything about Derek Hale. That’s smart. Your dad is the Sheriff after all. But I know the truth. I can’t blame you. I mean once upon a time I went there myself and he didn’t look half as good as he does now.”

Carly balled her hands into fists and tried to stay calm. She didn’t know who this woman was but she was not going to be the one to get Derek caught wherever he was. If this lady knew Allison then she was most likely a hunter and Carly got the feeling she wasn’t exactly stable.

“You don’t know, do you? What he is. That’s disappointing. You’re a smart girl. Come on Carly. You have to have noticed the kind of monster he is.”

“Derek is not a monster. He hasn’t done anything. When my dad realizes that I’ll be first in line to tell him I told you so.”

Kate laughs and comes closer to Carly, circling her like prey.

“You can lie to me but you can’t lie to yourself. Think about it.”

Sheriff Stilinski pours over a stack of case files on the kitchen table. Stiles tears past, yanks something out of the fridge and disappears back out of the kitchen but a moment later, he slowly wanders back over. 

“Whatcha’ doing?”

“Work.”

“Anything I can help with?”

“Pouring me an ounce of whiskey would be nice.”

Seeing this as his chance to get a look at the files Stiles grabs a glass and a bottle of whiskey before taking a seat at the table next to his father.

“Any leads?”

“You know I can’t discuss that with you.”

Stiles tilts the bottle of whiskey to pour. 

“Not too much.”

Stiles glances from his father to the case files then to the bottle in his own hand. A devious plan forming.

“There ya go, Dad.”

Eyes still on the files, Stilinski lifts up the glass to sip, not noticing that it’s almost full and when he sets it back down it’s empty, paperwork now spread haphazardly all over the table.

“You know, Derek Hale would be a whole Hale of a lot... Hale of a lot?”

“Hell of a lot?”

“Hell. Yessss. He’d be a whole hell of a lot easier to catch if we had an actual picture of him.”

“How do you not have a picture of him?”

He lays down photos in front of Stiles and they’re blurry where Derek’s face should be.

“It’s the weirdest thing. Every time we tried to do his mugshot it was like two laser beams were pointing at the camera.”

“Nice.”

“Good God, that ounce hit me really hard. And I’ve told you way too much. You repeat any of this…”

“You know I won’t say anything, Dad.”

He picks the bottle up again and holds it over the glass. 

“You want another? Just a little?”

“Absolutely not. Not a drop. Maybe a drop. Just a little.”

Stiles sets the bottle back and tries not to look at the gigantic glass of whiskey he just poured. But Stilinski is talking again. 

“See, the thing is they’re connected. All of them. The school bus driver who died? He was an insurance investigator assigned to the Hale fire.” 

“Terminated under suspicion of fraud.”

“Exactly.”

“Who else?”

“That video store clerk who got his throat slashed? Convicted felon. History of arson.”

“What about the other two? The guys who were killed in the woods.”

“Priors all over their records. Including…”

“Arson? So maybe they all had something to do with the fire?”

He picks up the bottle again and the guilt is written all over Stiles' face as he pours him another glass anyway. 

“No. No more.”

“You work hard. You deserve it.”

“I’m going to have a hangover.”

“You’re going to have a good night’s sleep and I’m going to have an eternity in the lowest circle of hell.”

Stiles takes the empty glass out of his drunk father’s hand before it drops through his flimsy grasp. 

“There’s just so many questions.”

“Like?”

“If Derek was going to kill everyone involved with the fire, why start with his own sister who had nothing to do with it?”

“Good question.”

“And why make it all look like some animal did it?”

“Also a good question.”

“Which is the other weird thing. When that cougar ended up in the school parking lot I checked with Animal Control. Incidences of wild animal reports? Up seventy percent in the last few months. It’s like they’re all going crazy running out of the woods.”

“Or something’s scaring them out.”

Stiles looks over the files and then starts cleaning them up, shoving them back in their folders. 

“And why get your sister involved in all of this? You know, I miss talking to you. It’s like we never have time--”

“Gotta’ make a phone call, Dad. Be right back.”

“I do. I miss it.”

Stiles gets up, pulling his phone from his pocket and starts to walk away. 

“I miss your mother. She’d know what to do.”

Glancing back, Stiles takes the phone from his ear. And looks at his dad in disbelief.

“What’d you say?”

But Stilinski just reaches for the bottle to pour another drink. As he lifts it up, Stiles puts his hand around it, gently setting it down. 

“Thanks.”


	9. Chapter 9

Stiles is sitting in Scotts desk chair watching Scott as he frantically searches his room. 

“Call it again.”

“It’s not here.”

Tossing blankets, pillows, lacrosse equipment, Scott tears through the place. Finally searching under his bed but not finding the phone. 

“So you lost your phone. Get a new one.”

“I can’t afford a new one. And I can’t do this alone. We have to find Derek.”

“Okay, A, you’re not alone. You have me. And B, didn’t you tell me Derek walked right into gunfire? Sounds kind of dead to me.”

“Argent’s plan was to use him to get the Alpha. They won’t kill him.”

“Then let them do what they’re planning. They use Derek to get Peter, problem solved.”

“Not if Peter’s going after Allison to find Derek. I can’t protect her myself. Which means I need to find Derek first. Besides, Carly’s already not talking to either of us if we let Derek die and she finds out we could have done something we’re going to get more than death glares and the silent treatment. Just help me.”

Stiles reluctantly gets up to join the search. He knows exactly how devious his sister can be when she puts her mind to it. Having Derek die would be the straw that breaks her heart and he loves his sister too much to be responsible for that.

“You know, you probably lost it when you two were fighting. Remember? When he was trying to kill you? When you interrupted him trying to kill Jackson? Starting to see a pattern of violent behavior here? No? Maybe it’s just me.”

“He wasn’t going to kill anyone. And I’m not letting him die.”

“Could you at least think about letting him die? For me?”

“I’m not letting him die just you don’t have to deal with the fact that he’s in love with your sister.”

Stiles sends him a glare but doesn’t say anything else. Besides he doesn’t know if Derek is in love with his sister so letting him die wouldn’t be too big a deal. Carly would get over it. Eventually. 

Kate searches the pockets of Derek's jacket while he’s handcuffed to electrified fencing. She pulls out his wallet and begins thumbing through it. She pulls out some cash and sticks it in her back pocket before slowly making her way towards Derek.

“Come on, he killed your sister. Either you’re not telling me because you want to kill him yourself or for some twisted reason, you’re protecting him.”

Kate holds up Derek’s license to compare it against the scowling Derek in front of her. 

“ Look at that sour face. I bet you used to get a lot of people coming up to you saying smile. Derek, why don’t you smile more often? Don’t you want to just punch those people in the throat?”

“I can think of one person.”

“Promise? Because if you’re going to be that much fun, I’ll let you go and have at it.”

She picks up his phone and scrolls through it. 

“Nothing, nothing, nothing. Hmm, now this is interesting. Carly Stilinski.”

Derek growls, his head snapping up at the mention of Carly’s name coming from Kate’s lips. Kate just laughs at him without flinching.

“You know I met your little girlfriend earlier. At the lacrosse game. She’s got spunk and she’s cute. You do have taste I have to give you that.”

“Stay away from her. She’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Oh, I think she has everything to do with this. I want the Alpha or the Beta. Just give me one or the other.”

“Are you going to torture me or talk me to death?”

“I don’t want to torture you. I want to catch up. Remember all the fun we had together?”

“Like the time you burned my family alive?”  
“I was thinking more of all the crazy hot sex we had. But the fire thing? That was pretty fun too.”

Derek yanks against his restraints but there’s no give. He glares at her with as much hate as anyone can muster. 

“God, I love how much you hate me.”

Grabbing him by the belt, she pulls him toward her. Derek tries to keep away from her, his stomach flexing back but he is completely at Kate’s mercy.

“Remember how this felt?”

She yanks him forward again and casually let’s her tongue slide up his abs to his sternum. Derek snaps out, as if trying to take her head off. The pins electrodes in the sides of his body crackle with blue sparks of electricity. 

“Has Carly had a taste yet? I bet not. She seems too innocent for that. Delicate like a flower. Plus her father would probably shoot you in the head. The Sheriff’s daughter. You do love a tragic love story. I mean it, though. I don’t want to torture you. But he does.”

A very large man steps out of the shadows and Kate walks out. She never looks back or shows any emotion of guilt. A small smile actually forms on her lips as behind her Marcus cracks his knuckles in anticipation.

Later that night Kate is sitting at the table of the cell listening to voicemails from her brother with an annoyed and bored expression on her face while Derek hangs exhausted on the fence.

“Unfortunately, Derek, if you’re not going to talk, looks like I’m going to have to kill you. So... Say hi to your sister for me.”

She starts to turn up the dial, but pauses. 

“You did tell her about me, right? The truth about the fire?”

She watches his face for a reaction. He won’t look at her. 

“Or did you? Did you ever tell anyone? Carly?”

Derek closes his eyes, trying to shut her out.  
“Oh sweety, that’s a lot of guilt to keep buried. It’s not all your fault. You got tricked by a pretty face. It happens. Handsome young werewolf mistakenly falls in love with a super hot girl who comes from a family that kills werewolves. Is that ironic? I’m reluctant to say ironic because I know most people don’t use the word correctly. Is it ironic that you’re inadvertently helping me take down the rest of the pack again? Maybe it’s just funny. Or just history repeating itself.”

Hand on the dial of the control box, ready to turn the current up, shepauses. Her fingers tap on the dial. 

“History repeating. It’s not Jackson, is it? He’s got a little scratch on the back of his neck, but he’s not in love with Allison. Not like Scott.”

Derek looks away from her with his eyes shut ashamed that he had inadvertently given everything away.

Carly stared at the dress hanging on the back of her door before taking it and tossing it on the floor. She lets out a huff and falls back on her bed, her dad stops and knocks once before opening it. Seeing the dress on the floor he frowns and looks at his daughter.

“Not going to the dance?”

“Don’t really see the point. Going to a party while you and your Deputy’s hunt down an innocent man doesn’t really seem like the moral thing to do.”

“Carly...You need to let this Derek thing go. He’s too old for you and he’s wanted for murder. Why can’t you just find a nice boy your own age?”

“Why does everyone keep telling me that? He’s barely older than me. A few years isn’t a big deal and I like him, dad. You don’t even know him. He didn’t do this. I don’t care what you or anyone else says. I know he didn’t.”

The sheriff sighs and picks up his daughters dress and lays it over the back of her desk chair.

“Unless you can give me something to prove that he didn’t there’s nothing I can do. Just stay away from him, Carly. Murderer or not I’m your father and I’d hate to have to arrest my own daughter.”

Carly turns her back on him and buries her face in her pillow not willing to let him see her cry. Defeated he leaves the room closing the door behind him.

Peter is standing on the lacrosse field of the school when he sees Stils. Letting go of the girl Lydia drops to the grass, unconscious, the side of her dress covered with blood. Stiles races to her, but Peter lunges forward with an arm reaching over her body. His claws appearing and digging into the ground, he’s like an animal claiming its kill. Stiles stares in shock at the blood dripping from the man’s jaws. 

“Stiles--”

“Don’t kill her. Please.”

“Of course. Just tell me how to find Derek.”

“What?”

“Tell me how to find Derek Hale.”

“I--I don’t know that. How would I know?”

“Because you’re the smart one, aren’t you? And because I can smell it on you. Deception has a particularly acrid scent, Stiles. So how about you tell me the truth before I rip her apart.”

“I don’t know. I swear to God, I don’t.”

Hig hand to the back of Lydia’s neck and Peter lifts her up, closer and closer to his teeth. Frightened tears welling at his eyes, Stiles can’t pull his gaze from Lydia’s bloody dress. 

“Please, please stop.” 

“Tell me.”

Peter’s voice surges from his lips with in the way only an Alpha’s can. 

“Okay, okay. I think--I think he knew--”

“Knew what?”

“Derek--knew he was going to be caught.”

“By the Argents? And?”  
“When they got shot, him and Scott-- I think he took Scott’s phone.”

“Why?”

“They all have GPS now. If Derek still has it, if it’s still on... You can find him.”

Carly is still in bed when there’s a knock on her door. She throws the bear she had been holding at it angrily. 

“I don’t want to talk to you, Dad.”

The door opens and Isaac walks in and stands near the edge of her bed.

“Well that’s the first and probably last time anyone calls me daddy.”

Carly laughed and grabbed his hand pulling him into the bed with her.

“I’m glad it’s you. Why aren’t you at the formal? I thought you were excited about it?”

Isaac shrugs and pulls on the sleeves of his shirt and Carly sighs.

“I wish you would let me talk to my dad. He can help you. Get you out of there. You could stay here. My dad owes me anyway.”

Isaac shakes his head, “No. I don’t want to be that kid. Two more years and then I’ll be out of here and he won’t be able to touch me. Why aren’t you at the formal?”

“I hate my dad and my brother. Didn’t see the point in going to a stupid dance.” 

“So it’s a Derek thing?”

“It’s a Derek thing. Sorry.”

“I’m your best friend and probably the only person you have who you can talk to about Derek without them judging you. I mean granted I haven’t met the guy and this whole toying with your emotions things makes me kind of hate him but no judgement.”

“You’re the best you know that?”


	10. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the final chapter of season 1. If there's any scenes you want to see that the story didn't cover or that you want to see more of in future chapters leave a comment.

Scott’s cell phone sits by Derek’s jacket on the table in the dark basement. Hanging from the restraints, Derek breathes slow and tired breaths. His head lifts when he hears footsteps approaching. Marcus wanders out of the darkness. 

“Ready to have a little more fun?”

Derek lowers his head again, preparing for another beating. 

“To be honest, though, my knuckles are kind of hurting. So I brought a little help.”

He holds up a baseball bat. 

“I gotta’ warn you, though. I used to play in college.”

Marcus rears back and swings. But Derek catches the bat with his hand which is now freed from the chains. As Marcus looks on with wide eyes, the basement fills with the sound of wood cracking and snapping apart. Pieces of the bat crumble to the floor around Marcus’s feet. 

“I brought a little help too.”

Marcus’s eyes flick over to Scott who steps out of the shadows. When Marcus looks back to Derek- a fist comes hurtling right at his face. Body soaring across the room, Marcus tumbles brutally to a stop on the floor. Derek reaches for the other restraint to free himself. The bolts at his wrists, however, have to be held at both ends making it impossible for him to unlock it with one hand. 

“Scott, help me with this.”

“No.”

“What do you mean no?”

Derek pulls forward causing Scott to take a few paces back. 

“Not until you tell me how to stop Peter.”

“You want to talk about this now?”

“He’s going after Allison and her family. He’s going to kill them.”  
“So what?”

“So tell me how to stop him.”

“You can’t. Listen, I don’t know when Kate’s coming back. Get me out of this now.”

“Promise you’ll help me.”

“You want me to risk my life for your girlfriend? For your stupid teenage crush that means nothing?”

The words spit out of him with a ferocity that Scott knows is more than what it seems. He’s thinking about Carly and maybe his past.

“You’re not in love. You’re sixteen years old and you’re a kid.”

“Is that what you told Carly? You know she’s out there right now trying to find something to prove that you’re not the killer everyone thinks you are. She’s not even speaking to me, or her dad, or Stiles. She skipped the Winter formal. Something she’d been looking forward to all year because of you. You don’t want to help me, fine. But I know something you don’t.”

He pulls out a piece of crinkled paper from his pocket. 

“Peter said he didn’t know what he was doing when he killed your sister. He lied.”

Derek looks at the picture Scott holds up and sees the deer with a spiral on it. The same one he brought to Deaton. 

“Remember this?”

Carly pulls her jacket tighter around her as she leaves the Long Term Care home. Peter’s room had been emptied out and his nurse was missing. They said he’d transferred homes but Carly wasn’t buying it. She didn’t know why it was just a feeling. Maybe her dad was right and she didn’t know anything and she was just crazy. Suddenly a woman steps out of the shadows and Carly can feel her heart start to race but she doesn’t react. A car goes by and she sees that it’s Kate Argent. 

“What do you want?”

“Nice to see you too, Precious. I had a little talk with your boyfriend earlier.”  
Carly’s eyes widen a little as she tries not to show Kate any reaction. She knows that’s what she wants and she’s not exactly sure what her motives are but she doesn’t like her.

“What do you want?”

“Just want to ask you a few questions. I was hoping you could settle something for me. Derek and I were talking earlier and getting a little friendly and I asked him if you two had ever had a roll in the hay and he wouldn’t give me an answer. Personally I can’t believe it. Because if you had taken a ride on that there’s no way you couldn’t know the truth. 

“What is the truth?”

“I’ll show you.”

Suddenly Carly is hit from behind by the butt of a gun and Kate catches her. Looking up at the guy standing where Carly had been she nods towards the van pulling up next to them.

“Put her in the van.”

Scott pulls Derek out of the mine shaft entrance. With his leather jacket on him now, Derek is still weakened, moving slowly, breathing hard. His hand goes to the marks on his side where the electrode pins were placed. 

“Hold on. Something doesn’t feel right.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean something doesn’t feel right. Getting out of there was... I don’t know. Kind of like it was--”

“Don’t say too easy. People say too easy and then bad things happen.”

But Derek keeps throwing nervous glances to the strangely quiet woods. 

“You think finding you was easy? Getting away from Allison’s Dad? None of this has been easy. So if for two seconds something is going right, can we not question it? Can we just shut up and thank God we have the tiniest bit of luck for once?”

“Yeah, okay. You’re right.”  
They start forward again when they hear the sudden sound of something soaring through the air. Derek snaps his head up with a pained gasp, an arrow sticks through his jacket under his collar bone. Time seems to slow down as he shoves Scott away from him, trying to push him out of the line of fire. Scott’s eyes focus with incredible speed and accuracy to a ridge just up the hill where Allison pulls back the drawstring on a black compound bow. 

“Now the leg.”

One eye shut as she aims, Allison nocks the arrow, pulls it back and lets it fly. Derek cries out when the second arrow goes through his leg and sends him crashing to the ground. A stunned Scott flinches as if the arrow had hit him instead. In the distance being held back by the same guy who knocked her out is Carly. She struggles in his grip and tries to yell out but a hand clamps down over her mouth.

“The flash bolt.”

Allison pulls out an arrow with a conical shaped flash bolt attached to the end. She gets it nocked in the center of the drawstring. 

“Your eyes--Scott!”

But the boy only stares in shock as the girl he loves aims the next arrow. He doesn’t even raise his hands to protect himself as the flash bolt explodes into the tree next to him. The flare blinds him and sends him staggering back. Hitting the leaves and dirt, the world around him burns with iridescent flares. Then, impossibly, Derek is on his feet. He grabs Scott, dragging him toward the house. Allison follows Kate down the ridge toward the two retreating young men. 

“See? Natural talent.”

The bow at her side, Allison’s eyes are locked on Scott as he and Derek reach the yard just in front of the house. Derek collapses, broken arrow shafts still jutting out of him. 

“Scott, go!”

But Scott’s own eyes flutter, still unable to see anything. Just a silhouetted figure coming toward him. 

“Allison, I can explain.”

“Stop lying. For once, stop lying.”

“I was trying to tell you the truth at the formal. I was going to tell you everything. Because everything I said, everything I did--”

“Was to protect me?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Thank God. Now shoot him before I have to shoot myself.”

Allison throws her a look of surprise. 

“You said we were going to catch them.”

“And we did that. Now we’re going to kill them.”

Kate withdraws a Glock from her jacket and chambers a round. She approaches Derek and with a casualness that is utterly terrifying, fires a round right into him. Allison gasps as Derek’s body drops back to the ground. Carly watches with tears in her eyes as she’s unable to break free of her captors grasp.

“See? It’s not that hard.”

She looks up at Allison and the teenage girl seems to now finally see her favorite aunt for who she really is. A pure and unrepentant sociopath. 

“Okay, I know that look. That’s the you’re going to have to do this yourself look.”

She turns the gun on Scott, aiming at his head. 

“What are you doing? Kate?”

Vision returned, Scott peers down the barrel of the gun. 

“Love those brown eyes.”

She begins to pull back on the trigger. Argent steps out of the shadows. He holds a gun as well but aimed at his sister. 

“Kate. I know what you did. Put the gun down.”

Kate’s eyes slip momentarily to the house. Allison, Carly and Argent notice it. 

“I did what I was asked to do.”

“No one asked you to murder innocent people. There were children in that house. Ones who were human. Look at what you’re doing now. You’re pointing a gun at a sixteen year old boy with no proof he’s spilled human blood. We go by the code: Nous chassons ceux qui nous chassent.”

“We hunt the ones who hunt us.” Alison whispers.

“Now put the gun down…”

He raises his own weapon. 

“Before I put you down.”

Seething, but unable to do anything else, Kate finally begins to lower the gun but there’s a smile on her face.

“You shoot me and the girl dies.”

She whistles and her goon drags a struggling and crying Carly into the clearing. Derek is back on his feet growling barely able to keep himself from attacking. Scott holds out an arm to keep him at bay.

“She’s not going to hurt her.”

“He’s right. I don’t want to hurt her. I like her. She’s so innocent.” 

Kate cups Carly’s face and turns it towards Derek.

“Look at this face Derek. It’s so cute and look, she’s even crying. She thought you were dead. She still doesn’t know.”

“Know what?”

Derek growls in warning, “Kate don’t.”

“Your boyfriend is a werewolf.”

Before she can say anything else, Argent notices something behind her. The door to the Hale house creaks open. The wind whistles around them. Derek and Scott both look up. At the exact same time, their eyes begin glowing. A response to the presence of their pack leader. 

“Allison, get back.”

“What is it”

Scott peers into the darkness beyond the door. 

“It’s the Alpha…”

Argent’s eyes whip from shadow to shadow as Kate steps near him dropping Carly. Derek runs to her side and pulls her to him. He checks her over to make sure she hasn’t been hurt.

“Are you okay?”

“I..I’m fine. You’re the one who got shot. Multiple times.”

She checks him over but there’s not even any wounds. She looks at him confused but then remembers what Kate had told her. 

“You’re a werewolf.”

Derek nods and waits for her to freak out but she doesn’t.

“You should probably be dealing with all of that.”

She smiles and nods back towards the house. He turns away from Carly and back towards the doorway. Argent glances towards his daughter. 

“Get out of here. Run.”

The Alpha gets to him first and his gun clatters to the ground. An instant later his body falls next to it, unconscious. Allison screams but then gets knocked backward, a blur hurtling in front of her, knocking her compound bow right out of her hands and across the yard. Scott darts forward, but his feet lift off the ground. In a flash, he’s tumbling to the leaves with a pained cry. Kate whips her gun around, eyes searching. 

“Come on…”

She fires into the shadows. 

“Come on!”

She spins as Peter appears right next to her, grabbing her wrist. Gun firing round after round, he simply twists her arm up with his superior strength. Kate screams as Peter breaks her arm. Pulling the weapon out of her hand. He lifts her off her feet and drags her back toward the house. 

“No--”

She runs forward, charging up the steps and into the house after them. Allison stops short inside, glancing about in the darkness. Breath held, she steps past the stairwell to find Peter holding Kate in front of him by the fireplace in the charred living room. His fingers press to her throat, right at her larynx. 

“She’s beautiful, Kate. She looks like you. Probably not as damaged. So I’m going to give you a chance to save her. Apologize. Say your sorry for decimating my family. For leaving me burned and broken for six years. Say it and I’ll let her live.”

“I’m... I’m sorry.”

Peter nods. Then presses his fingers tighter into Kate’s throat. And with the sound of tearing flesh, his claws protract, sticking right into Kate’s neck. Allison screams as Peter pulls his hand away covered in blood. Kate’s body falls dead to the floor. 

“I don’t know about you, Allison. But that apology? It just didn’t sound very sincere.”

Claws out, he starts toward her transforming into a wolf but the Alpha pauses when he hears a growl. Turning, he finds Scott slowly rising from the darkness, lifting his head to reveal he’s transformed. Another growl sends the red eyes turning to Derek who, stepping into the light, is also shifted and ready to attack. The two werewolves circle the Alpha, crouching low, moving in synchronicity. And for the first time, Derek and Scott seem like part of the same pack. They launch into the air, attacking in the same instant. But Peter is prepared. He sends Derek hurtling into one wall and Scott into the next. Allison falls back, debris flying, wood splintering. She moves for the door, crawling outside of the house as Derek and Scott both land back on their feet in an instant. They attack again and again, but Peter pounds them back each time until Derek falls, blood spitting from his lips while Peter grabs Scott by the back of his neck, pulling him up like a puppy and then throwing him off his feet. Scott goes smashing through the wall of the house, when he rolls to a stop, he gazes up to see the Alpha coming out of the side of the house. He spots Allison trying to wake her father, to get back to consciousness. But then lights blaze over the Alpha. Jackson’s Porsche speeds to a stop as he beeps the horn from the driver’s seat. The alpha whips its head around just in time to see Stiles rear back and with all of his strength he hurls something right at the Alpha. But the creature catches it, the molotov cocktail rests harmlessly in its hand. 

“Oh damn.”

But a shout rises from his side. 

“Allison!”

She looks up to see Scott throwing her compound bow toward her and she catches it. The Alpha glances from the beaker in confusion to Allison who quickly and expertly nocks an arrow. Realizing what’s happening, the Alpha turns to throw the Molotov Cocktail just as the arrow flies. But Allison’s aim is perfect. The beaker shatters in the Alpha’s hand, arrow smashing right through the glass. The chemicals splash over its claws and fingers, mixing together in a dangerous interaction flames ignite across its hand. Taking his cue, Jackson steps forward and throws a second beaker. This one explodes across the Alpha’s torso, bursting instantly into flames. The creature lets loose a horrifying shriek, writhing and twisting as the fire engulfs him. Scott pushes himself back on the ground, watching the figure burn in front of the very house where he survived the first fire. Until finally, the shrieking subsides and Peter drops to the wet leaves underneath him, rolling to a stop as the fire dissipates to black smoke. Both Stiles and Jackson step back as Scott turns his eyes to Allison, surprised to see her slowly coming toward him. Approaching without fear. Still hurt and weak, Scott tries to back away. But Allison kneels down, a hand held out to him. Scott turns his head away, trying to keep his altered face in shadow, not wanting her to see him up close as a werewolf. As a monster. But Allison gently reaches up, her fingertips touching Scott’s cheeks. He silently blinks at her with his yellow eyes. Then she slowly brings her lips to his and kisses him. Eyes closing on the world around him, Scott kisses her back, softly and sweetly. As their lips finally part, the two teenagers pull back to look at each other, Scott blinks in realization that he’s transformed back to normal. As if her kiss alone was able to make him human. 

“Why did you do that?”

“Because I love you.”

Past them, a now conscious Argent watches the scene. Scott notices him. But before he can say anything, he spots Derek standing over Peter’s still smoking body. He’s put out the rest of the flames with his jacket which he’s laid over Peter, still alive. Scott pulls away from Allison, suddenly realizing what’s about to happen. 

“Wait. You said the cure comes from the one who bit you.”

Derek hesitates. Staring down at Peter and then at Carly, knowing what he’s about to do to Scott. 

“You do this and I’m dead. Her father, her family... What am I supposed to do?”

Peter looks up at Derek and smiles.

“You already made up your mind, didn’t you. Do it. For her.”

Derek’s clawed hand rises up.

“Don’t! “

But Derek slashes down, severing Peter’s throat and sealing his own fate. He slowly turns back to Scott to reveal his eyes are glowing red. 

“I’m the Alpha now.”


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Season 2 begins

Carly was running again, but now that she knew the truth there weren’t headphones in her ears. Instead she was alert, listening for any sounds of danger. Derek was a werewolf. Scott was a werewolf. Werewolf hunters were a thing and Peter Hale was a crazy murdering werewolf. She had been surrounded by wolves for months and had no idea. Her brother had known all of this the whole time and hadn’t told her a thing. He’d known she was in danger and he just couldn’t be bothered. Just thinking about it made her hands ball up into fists at her side and she pushed herself to run faster. She hated being weak. She didn’t want to be protected, she wanted to be able to protect herself. There’s a sound in the distance of cracking sticks and she stops running. Her heart starts to race as she looks around for something, anything she can use to try and defend herself. She finds a thick branch and picks it up, ready to attack as Mr. Argent steps into view. She doesn’t drop the branch though as she looks at him. 

“Are you following me?”

He takes in the sight of the girl in front of him trying not to show fear as she stands there with nothing but a branch and he can’t help but smile.

“I came to give you a piece of advice. Now that you know just how much danger you’re in maybe you’ll be willing to listen.”

Carly drops the branch to her side but doesn’t let it go. She doesn’t know what he’s capable of. His sister kidnapped her and was a cold blooded psycho murderer. His own daughter was willing to hunt down her own boyfriend and wasn’t that far off from her aunt, there was no telling how far he would go.

“You need to stay away from Derek.”

Carly rolls her eyes and starts to walk away, tired of constantly listening to everyone tell her the same thing. They didn’t understand. She might be angry but that didn’t change her feelings. She was pissed at her brother she still loved him. She would still fight for him. Same for Scott and the same for Derek. Just because they lied to her didn’t mean she was going to abandon them. Shejust needed some time.

“He’s an Alpha now. They will come for him. Killer or not.”

His words stop Carly in her tracks and she turns back to him ready to listen. If nothing else maybe she can learn something and give Derek a heads up. Find out what their next moves were going to be and she could maybe get ahead of them and stop it. She wasn’t just going to stand by and let her friends lives be in danger. Let her brother’s life be in danger.

“My family, more hunters, they’re about to flood this town. It’s going to get dangerous real fast. You don’t need to get caught in the crosshairs. You want to protect him. You have to stay away from him. If they find out about you. They’ll use you to get to him. You’re his weakness. Kate saw it and so will they. They’re not above using a little bait.”

Carly felt her blood turn cold as she listened to him. She knew he was right. She was weak and she made Derek weak. The last thing Derek needed now with Hunters after him was to be weak. But she could change that. She wasn’t entirely helpless and standing right in front of her was someone who could change everything. He could teach her how to defend herself. How to fight back against the hunters and the supernaturals. 

“If I agree to stay away from Derek then you have to do something for me. You have to teach me to protect myself. You have to teach me all about werewolves. I seem to have a knack for putting myself in danger.”

“I can do that.”

Carly was in her room doing her homework when she felt it. Derek was here. She knew now that the feeling she was getting, the warm, safe feeling was because he was around. She was going to miss that feeling. Getting off her bed and looking out the window she saw him standing across the street. She threw on her jacket and shoes and climbed out her window to meet him. 

“What are you doing here?”

“I just needed to see you. We haven’t talked since..”

“Since your ex kidnapped me, I found out werewolves are real and then you ripped out your Uncle’s throat in front of me?”

Derek looked away from her ashamed that he had let her see that side of him, afraid of what he might see on her face. This was going to be harder than she thought. Cupping his face and forcing him to look at her she smiled.

“Hey. It’s okay. I’m not afraid of you. Where have you been living? If you say in your car I swear..”

He smiled but didn’t say anything because he had been living in his car.

“Follow me. I know a place. No one will find you.”

She grabbed his hand and led him through the town and then down into the tunnels under the city. Eventually they opened up and found themselves in an old underground subway station that had been abandoned a long time ago.

“It’s dark and kind of dirty but no one knows about this place. It’s not even on any maps. I used to come here as a kid after my mom died. It reminded me of the ninja turtles hideout in the second and third movies.”

Derek let go of her hand and took in what was going to be his new home for awhile. He tried to imagine her as a kid sitting pressed against these dark, dirty walls crying for the loss of her mom. He reached out with a hand to touch one and he could have sworn he heard the echos of a little girls cries, calling out for mom. Quickly pulling his hand away he flinched, trying to erase the sounds from his mind. 

“They’re coming. Hunters. The Argents.”

“I know.” She swallowed and tried to keep herself together. She couldn’t let him see her cry. “That’s why we can’t do this. You and me. I’m human. I’m prone to getting myself into dangerous situations and I can’t have you worrying about me all the time. You need to focus on staying alive. On being the Alpha. I need to focus on school and my dad and my friends. Isaac needs me right now. You’re a werewolf Derek and I’m just a stupid human. This was never going to work.”

Derek takes a step closer to her but stops when she backs up. “You really want this? This is what you want?”

Every inch of her is screaming no but she fights against it. Not willing to let him see that she was struggling with this. Carly nods and his face hardens back to its usual brooding cold stare. The softness that he usually saved only for her was gone now. His walls back up because he should have known. People never stick around. He was a monster. “What are you going to do?”

“Mr. Argent agreed to teach me how to protect myself. Figure a werewolf hunter has to be a pretty good teacher when it comes to this kind of stuff.”

“You’re going to be a hunter?”

“I’m not going to be a hunter--”

“They’re trying to kill me. They killed my whole family and now you’re one of them?!”

She can hear the edge in his voice and for the first time she thinks he might actually be angry at her. Not that she can entirely blame him. She could understand why he wouldn’t be excited about her learning from the men trying to kill him but he just didn’t understand. He should know better than to think she would ever allow anyone to hurt him.

“Derek that’s not-”

“Go. Just go Carly.”

Carly stares at him for a second but he turns his back to her. She understands now, he thinks she’s abandoning him like everyone else. He thinks she’s afraid of him, that she thinks he’s a monster. As much as she wants to explain, show him that’s not what’s happening she knows she can’t. Shaking her head she turns and leaves. When Derek is sure she’s gone he punches one of the beams with all his strength and chunks of cement fly around the room. 

Beyond a wrought iron gate in the small Beacon Hills Cemetery, a newly planted headstone reads: Katherine Argent. A backhoe loader eases past. With a hydraulic hiss, it drops a pile of dirt next to the grave. Operating the loader from the center of the glass-encased cab is Isaac Lahey. Headphones jammed in his ears, hard crunching guitars pound through his head while he works. With the grave digging nearly complete, he reaches for the gear shift and glances in the rear view mirror to back up. But then pauses to give a weary look at his black eye. He was going to have to avoid Carly for a few days. Glancing away with more than a little shame at his own reflection, Isaac shifts to reverse. The loader backs up. But just as it’s rolling to a stop, something appears in the glass of the cab. A silhouetted figure crouches in between two nearby headstones. It blinks with glowing yellow eyes. Isaac shuts off the ignition and removes his headphones. In the quiet, he holds still, as if feeling something watching him. Turning to his right, his eyes jump from headstone to headstone. Nothing there. He slowly lets his gaze wander over the cemetery while the only sound in the cab seems to be his ever-shortening breath. And then he spots a hand over the top of the gravestone. Its fingers taper into animal-like claws. 

“What the hell…”

As he leans forward to get a better look, the hand slips away from the grave. Isaac goes for the ignition to turn the loader back on. But something barrels right into the loader, sending it tipping up on its tires. The machine slams down on its side right over the open grave. The door to the cab clatters open, dropping Isaac into the grave with a scream. He hits the bottom with a painful thud. Then rolls over to look up at the backhoe loader covering the grave. Something leaps onto it, rattling the machine. But then bounds off just as quickly. Isaac tries to hold his breath, tries to halt his frightened gasps. Pulling himself back against the dirt wall of the grave, he listens. Strange, animal-like sounds come from nearby. A stream of feral growls. Becoming more and more urgent. Gathering his courage, Isaac rises up, looking past the edge to see a hunched over figure quickly digs and tears at the earth, pulling up a just buried casket. Pulling back into the darkness, he hears the cracking and smashing of wood, sounds of rending and tearing. Until the sounds abruptly stop. Holding still, Isaac hears another growl but this one’s an earth-shaking roar and clearly not the same animal. It's followed by the sound of quick movement. The first creature racing away in terrified retreat, its breathless whimpers giving way to silence again. Then the backhoe loader begins to rise. Incredibly, the entire machine lifts up off the grave and tips back down onto its tires, right side up. Black boots walk slowly, purposefully around the grave. Cowering in the dark, Isaac finally raises his head to gaze up at the powerful and intimidating figure of Derek Hale standing at the edge. 

“Need a hand?”

Derek holds out a hand to help Isaac up and he thinks for a second before taking it. Dusting himself off he looks up at the dark figure of his best friends..whatever he is. 

“Thanks.”

“Isaac. Your dad give you that?”

Isaac puts his hand up to his eye and looks ashamed and slightly annoyed. He didn’t want to talk about it and some people should have more common sense than to ask about something like that. 

“It’s fine. Don’t tell Carly.

Derek flinched at her name before steeling himself again and raising an eyebrow at the teen, “When’s the last time you talked to her?”

“A few days. Why?”

Derek ignores his question as a plan starts to form in his mind. Sure he’d come here hoping to maybe catch a glimpse of his ex or to at least hear that she was okay but now he had another idea, “I can help you. I can make it so he can never hurt you again.”

Isaac knows he should walk away. This is Carly’s mess and he needs to stay out of it. He doesn’t know if they’re off or on but his offer is tempting. He doesn’t even know exactly what the offer is but if it helps then he wants it. He’s tired of being his dad’s punching bag. He’s tired of being weak.

“What are you offering?”

Derek grins knowing that he’s won and no one even knows the game has begun. 

The next morning the brilliant glow of sunlight shines down on a ransacked grave. Smashed pieces of a casket lie amid clumps of dirt, barely concealing the remains of a just buried corpse. Sheriff Stilinski looks up from his notepad to Isaac and his father, who peers over his wire-rimmed glasses with suspicious eyes. 

“You’re working for your father, Isaac?”

“When he’s not in school. Which is where he needs to be in twenty minutes.”

“I understand, but I’ve got a missing girl and this is where our K9 unit led us. She’s got no clothes and if she’s still out here tonight when the temperature really drops…”

“Sorry, but I didn’t see anything.”

“Trust me, if he’d seen a naked girl outside of a computer screen, he’d remember it.”

Lahey laughs derisively while Isaac stares at the ground. Stilinski notices the bruise under the boy’s eye. 

“Isaac, how did you get that black eye?”

“School. “

“A school fight?”

Lahey glares at Isaac, waiting for his answer. Stilinski, however, keeps his eyes on the father, gauging his reaction. He’s always suspected something but Carly had always brushed him off and so he’d let it go but now he knows.

“Lacrosse.”

“That’s right. Carly said you made starting line this year. Good for you. Stiles is still on the bench but he’s on the team so I’m proud.”

For a brief moment, Isaac gazes past Stilinski to notice Derek watching and listening just beyond the cemetery’s wrought iron gate. Stilinski notices he’s lost Isaac’s attention. But when he follows the boy’s gaze, Derek is gone. 

“Something wrong, Isaac?”

“I was just remembering I actually have a morning practice to get to.”

“Okay, one more thing. Have you guys had many grave robberies here?”

“A few. But they usually just take stuff like jewelry.”

“What did this one take?”

“Her liver.”

Stilinski does a double-take from his notepad. Then slowly turns back to the open grave in front of him, peering down... Past the smashed wood of the casket he can just glimpse the torn fabric of a dress and the decaying insides of an old woman’s body. A body ripped to shreds.

Carly had just finished a lesson with Mr Argent when she ran into Alison pulling into the driveway. She sighed knowing she was going to have to have tell her the truth. Which was probably going to be weird considering they had never had an actual conversation before. Getting out of her car Alison made her way over to Carly.

“Carly? What are you doing here?”

“I uh..I was here to see your dad. He’s been..helping me with some things.”

“Helping you with things? What things?”

“Werewolf things. Since I was the last to know and seem to be surrounded by them he offered to help me out.”

“Does Derek know about this?”

“Why do you care? Yeah he knows and it’s not really his business we’re not dating.”

Alison looks surprised by that and moves in as if going to hug the other girl but stopping short.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I mean he’s a werewolf. Look how well that worked out for you and Scott, right?”

Alison tries not to look guilty but Carly just rolls her eyes. She’s not stupid. She knows they’re still dating but it’s not her place to rat them out. Besides, even if she furious with him, Scott is still her friend and she doesn’t need Mr Argent killing him.

“I should go. My dads been kind of crazy with the curfew lately. What with Lydia missing and the bodies. Don’t you miss the days when we didn’t know where all the bodies were buried?”

Alison laughs and nods and Carly waves before getting on her bike and heading home.


	12. Chapter 12

It’s night when Isaac charges down the station steps to the platform. Breathless, he spins around, searching the shadows. He’s drenched from the rain and there’s panic, fear, and sadness lacing his voice. 

“Derek? Derek!”

His voice echos, no telling where Derek is but he knows that he’s here. He can sense him somehow. He’s still not entirely sure how that works but he’s not in a place to question it right now.

“What’s wrong?”

“My dad. I think--I think he’s dead.”

A pair of glowing red eyes drift out of the darkness. When he steps into the light, however, Derek’s eyes are normal again but he looks worried and upset at the same time.

“What did you do?”

“That’s the thing... It wasn’t me.”

“What do you mean it wasn’t you?”

“It wasn’t me. It was something else. It moved fast and I didn’t get a good look at it. Everyone’s going to think it was me. I have to talk to Carly-”

Derek cuts him off and stops him from going anywhere. He stands in front of his beta and puts a hand on his chest hoping to calm him. Derek has never been good with this stuff, the emotions and dealing with people. 

“Carly doesn’t need to know anything. Her dad’s the sheriff, remember? You can’t say anything to anyone. You just go on with your day as normal. You go to school in the morning and I’ll take care of it.”

The next day on the lacrosse field the team is preparing for practice, Scott and Stiles are on the bleachers whispering. 

“It was kind of like a scent. But I couldn’t tell who.”

“What if you could get him one-on-one?”

Scott nods and Stiles glances around, eyes landing on Danny. 

“I think I got an idea.”

He gets up, moving down the benches to Danny while passing Jackson who sits next to Matt. He briefly hears them mention something about borrowing a camera but doesn’t care enough to listen in. Stiles rushes past them with an armful of goalie pads and dumps them on Scott’s lap. 

“I told Coach you’re switching with Danny.”

“But I hate playing goal.”

“Remember the part where I said I had a plan? This is the plan.”

“Oh. What’s the plan?”

“I seriously don’t know how you survive without me.”

He pulls Scott closer to explain but Coach blows the whistle.

“Let’s go! Line it up!”

The team lines up for an attack drill where one long stick a defender covers the goal. Pulling his helmet on, Scott starts toward the goal. But he stops when he reaches the Defender. Then, as casually as he can, he leans over and takes a deep breath in. The bewildered Defender turns to Scott. He gives the Defender an awkward smile, then steps into goal. 

“Okay, here we go…”

Coach blows the whistle and tosses a ball to the first player in line. The Defender braces for the attack when Scott races right past him, slamming into the player. They both crash to the ground, the lacrosse ball bouncing away. Helping the player to his feet, Scott pulls him close to take a few quick sniffs. Then with a look of disappointment, he lets him go. The confused player hurries past an even more confused Coach. 

“McCall, usually the goalie stays somewhere within the vicinity of the actual goal.”

“Sorry, Coach!”

As Scott hurries back to position, Coach blows the whistle, this time tossing the ball to Matt. But once again, Scott comes flying out of the goal past the Defender and viciously slams Matt right to the ground. Stunned, Matt tries to disentangle himself from Scott who hangs onto him long enough to grab a quick whiff. 

“What the hell, dude?”

“Sorry. My bad.”

Cringing, Stiles leans out of the lineup and Scott shakes his head at him. It’s not Matt either. 

“McCall! The position is Goal Keeper. Not Goal Abandoner. Keeper. As in keep your stupid ass in the goal!”

“Sorry, Coach!”

Another whistle blow and the Defender starts forward only to see Scott go soaring past him in a blur. Another whistle blow and the Defender now just stands there, lacrosse stick propped on the ground as Scott hurtles by, crashing into another player. Mystified, Coach turns to Stiles. 

“Stilinski, what the hell’s wrong with your friend?”

“Well, he’s failing two classes, he’s a little socially awkward and his jawline is sort of uneven.”

“Interesting.”

The whistle blows and the ball goes to Danny but he barely has it in his net when Scott crashes into him. Literally on top of Danny, he leans in and takes a few quick sniffs of him. 

“It’s Armani.”

“Huh?”

“My after shave. Armani.”

“Oh. It’s nice.”

In the lineup, Isaac keeps his head down, drawing nervous breaths between his teeth. Just behind him, Stiles begins to notice the boy’s odd demeanor. 

“McCall! You come out of that goal again and you’ll be doing suicide runs until you die. You’ll be the first ever suicide run to actually end in suicide. Got it?”

“Yes, Coach!”

Now quite worried, Scott notices Jackson at the head of line, watching him with curiosity. Whistle between his teeth, Coach prepares to pass a ball to Jackson when the boy lowers his stick to the ground. 

“Coach, my shoulder’s hurting. I’m going to sit this one out.”

Scott and Stiles share a nervous look. Jackson steps out of line, never taking his suspicious gaze off Scott. 

“Next!”

The player now at head of the line steps forward, helmet turning up to reveal Isaac. Scott cocks his head as if already sensing something different. Teeth clenched and gasping tight breaths, Isaac looks strangely animal, almost feral. The whistle blows and Coach tosses the ball to Isaac. He catches it without even looking and charges forward. The Defender darts in with vicious slaps at Isaac’s stick. But the boy spins and parries around him with ease. Scott comes out of the goal to meet him. They collide brutally, the sound of plastic gear cracking like thunder. Hitting the ground, Isaac and Scott look up to find themselves face-to-face. Staring at each other with glowing yellow eyes. Coach blows the whistle, snapping them back to the present. Eyes dimming to normal, Scott notices the other players now looking away to the edge of the field where Sheriff Stilinski and two deputies approach from the school. 

“Don’t tell them.”

Scott turns to Isaac his eyes returned to normal, he now looks like any other frightened teenager all too aware of the serious trouble he’s in. 

“Please, don’t tell them.”

Isaac stands up and takes his helmet off as Coach escorts him over to the sheriff. Gathered at the benches, the players whisper about what’s going on with Isaac. Off to the side, Stiles and Scott huddle together. 

“Can you hear them?”

Nodding, Scott focuses on Stilinski’s voice. 

“Your father’s body was found last night in his car. I’m terribly sorry. And as hard as this is, we unfortunately need to ask you some difficult questions.”

“His father’s dead.”

“Are you kidding?”

They watch a shell-shocked Isaac give an oddly restrained reaction to the news. 

“They think he was murdered.”

Stiles watches his dad and his Deputies begin guiding Isaac off the field. 

“Did they say he’s a suspect?”

“I don’t think so. Why?”

“Because they can lock him in a holding cell for 24 hours.”

“You mean like overnight?”

“During the full moon.”

“How good are the holding cells at holding people?”

“People? Good. Werewolves? Probably not so good.”

“Stiles. Remember how I said I don’t have an urge to maim and kill?”

“Yeah.”

“He does. “

At the entrance to the school, Isaac gives a final, fearful glance back as the doors clang shut.

Carly is sitting in the office with her arms folded over her chest staring definitely across the desk at her father. He shakes his head at her knowing that she’s not going to make this easy. 

“Is this going to be a thing now? Are you just going to try and arrest all of my friends?”

“Carly, Isaac is just being held for questioning. He hasn’t been arrested. Can you just answer my question. Did you know about Isaac’s father?”

“Yes. He’s my best friend. Of course I knew. He made me promise not to tell. He didn’t want anyone to think he was weak. He hated himself more than he hated his dad. It had gotten better lately. He hadn’t had any new bruises or cuts. Though I guess maybe that’s why he hasn’t been responding to my texts lately. But if you think he killed his father you're wrong. You know him. He could never do something like that.”

“Carly…”

“No. I was right about Derek and I’m right about Isaac. If you have anymore questions for me, talk to my lawyer.”

She grabbed her bag and headed for the door.

“You don’t have a lawyer.”

“I have a class to get to.”

She slams the door on her way out making her father flinch. He rubs his temples and sighs as he leans back in the chair, trying to figure out what to do next.

The last bell of the day rings and the doors of the school slam open. Scott charges down the steps and into the parking lot to find he’s too late. The Deputy Sheriff cars are already pulling away. But then he spots Isaac in the back of one car. They connect eyes for only a moment. And then he’s gone. Defeated, Scott slowly steps back, turning for the school when a black camaro skids to a halt in front of him. Derek looks out from behind the wheel. 

“Get in.”

“Are you serious? You did that. That’s your fault.”

“ I know. Now get in and help me.”

“I’ve got a better idea. I’m going to call a lawyer. Because a lawyer might actually have a chance of getting him out of there before the moon goes up.”

“Not when they do a real search of the house.”

“What do you mean?”

“Whatever Jackson said to the cops? What’s in the house is worse. A lot worse. Now get in.”

Carly felt it as soon as she made it to her locker. Derek was here somewhere. She sighed and tried to ignore the feeling and instead focused on what she was going to do to help Isaac. A distraction came in the unwelcome form of her brother’s face appearing next to her.

“I know you’re mad at me but in the spirit of not keeping secrets anymore I have to tell you something.”

Carly slams her locker shut and turns her steely glare on her brother who shrinks back under it. 

“There’s more to this Isaac situation than you know and as his best friend I felt like you should know. Derek turned him.”

Carly tries to hide her surprise but being twins her brother reads her like a book. She had so many questions but she knew in order to get her answers she was going to have to track down Derek and rescue her best friend.

“I’m going to kill Derek.”

“As much as I would usually love to hear that coming from you. We kind of need him at the moment.” 

Derek leads Scott into the Lahey’s house as the first beams of moonlight begin to flood in through the windows. 

“If Isaac didn’t kill his father, who did?”

“I don’t know yet.”

“Then how do you know he’s telling the truth?”

“Because I trust my senses and it’s a combination of them. Not just your sense of smell. 

“You saw the lacrosse thing today?”

“Yeah.”

“Did it look that bad?”

“Yeah.”

Scott sighs in embarrassment. 

“Another reason I trust Isaac, he wouldn’t lie to me. He wouldn’t do anything to hurt Carly. Lying about this would hurt Carly. You know how she is. She’s loyal to a fault for those she cares about. That includes you. You want to learn how to use your senses? Let’s start now.”

Derek opens a door next to the kitchen. He clicks on the light revealing steps leading down to Lahey’s basement. 

“What’s down there?”

“Motive.”

The door clicks open to the basement of Isaac's home. Light spills down the steps to a dank concrete-floored space cluttered with boxes piled almost to the ceiling. 

“What am I looking for?”

“You’ll find it.”

Scott slowly steps down, stairs creaking underneath him. Moving into the darker recesses of the basement, he reaches out, feeling over the boxes against the musty wall. 

“Follow your senses.”

Breath tightening, Scott glances back but he can no longer see Derek. He just hears his voice whispering toward him. 

“What happened down here?”

“The kind of thing that leaves an impression.”

Scott continues forward, past strange antiques, a torn stuffed animal peeking out of a box. A plastic clown’s mask. 

“Can you feel it? Think about how the sound of screaming can leave tiny impressions in the wood. Sweat left from fear. Saline from tears. In the walls, the floor.”

Scott peers down, then kneels, hands feeling over the floor where he discovers several scratches in the cement. 

“Claw marks?”

“Fingernails.”

Scott connects his own fingertips to the marks on the floor. Drawing his hand back, he moves with the direction of the marks. Inching back around a support beam, retreating into the darkness where a large freezer sits in the shadows. A small, open padlock hangs from its hinge. Scott slowly gets up, moving to the freezer. He reaches out to put his hands on the lid as.

“Open it.”

Derek now stands right behind him, causing Scott to catch his breath. Then, gathering his nerve, he pushes the lid open. He peers in to find the same desperate scratch marks on the inside. Dried blood in the grooves. And not just a few marks. They’re everywhere. Scott lets the freezer lid fall shut. 

“This is why he said yes to you.”

“Everyone wants power. Some of us have better reasons. Isaac wanted to survive. He wanted to be strong for her. He wanted to be able to protect her. You can’t blame him for that. That padlock won’t keep him in now.”

“Neither will a holding cell.”

“Exactly. So either you and Stiles help me get Isaac out quietly, or I get him out myself not-so-quietly.”

“If we help you, then you have to stop. You can’t just go around turning people into werewolves.”

“I can if they’re willing.”

“Did you tell Isaac about the Argents? About being hunted?”

“Yes and he knows his best friend is training to be a hunter. He still asked.”

“Well, then he’s an idiot.”

“And you’re the idiot dating Argent’s daughter. Yeah, I know your little secret. And if I know, how long do you think it’s going to take them to find out? Gerard in the school. Her father just waiting for an excuse to put a bullet in your head. You saw what happens to an Omega. With me, you learn how to use all of your senses. With me, you learn control.”

Derek grabs him by the wrist, turning Scott’s hand around to reveal the claws beginning to grow. 

“Even on a full moon.”

Scott pulls out of Derek’s grasp. 

“If I’m with you, I lose her.”

“You’re going to lose her anyway. You know you will.”

“Wait. I’m not part of your pack. But I want him out. He’s my responsibility too.”

“Why? Because he’s one of us?”

“Because he’s innocent.”

Locked in a cell in the Sheriff’s station Isaac’s eyes begin to glow yellow. Glowing brighter and brighter as the full moon rises higher in the sky behind him. Stiles and Derek approach the station, through the windows they can see the Night Officer sitting behind the front desk. 

“The keys to every cell are in a password-protected lock box in my father’s office.”

“How are you getting in the lock box?”

“My father’s got two passwords. Carlys’ and my birthday and my Mom’s birthday. The problem is getting past the front desk.” 

“I’ll distract her.”

Stiles scoffs in disbelief, “Woah, woah, you? You can’t go in there.”

“I was exonerated.”

“You’re still a person of interest.”

“An innocent person.”

“You? Yeah, right.”

“You’re not getting in there without me.”

“Okay. What’s your plan?”

“To distract her.”

“How? By punching her in the face?”

“By talking to her.”

“Oh, obviously. Because when I think of diverting conversation or stimulating banter I think of Derek Hale.”

Derek glares at him., “It worked on your sister.”

Carly drops her bike in the front of the Sheriff’s office and walks over to her brother’s jeep. She knows Derek is in it before she even makes it to the window. 

“You’re both idiots. We need to get Isaac out of there and you’re sitting here bickering like a bunch of old ladies. Derek’s going in there as the distraction. Look at him, she’ll take one look at him and he won’t even need to talk.”

The bored Night Officer types at her computer, barely even glancing up as Derek walks in. For a brief second it looks like Derek might actually not have a clue what to say. His head is still reeling from seeing Carly again. It was hard to be mad at her when she was right there in front of him and he knew he had fucked up. Realizing someone is there, the Night Officer lets out a deep sigh. 

“How can I help-- you.”

As she gazes into his eyes, utterly mesmerized, Derek offers a charming smile. Watching from around the corner, Stiles throws his hands up in defeat and Carly just rolls her eyes. She hurries for the open corridor leaving her brother to follow her. They slip into the darkened office and go for the lock box on the wall. Stiles quickly types in a series of numbers, then gives a self-satisfied smile when the box pops open. Reaching up, the smile disappears from his face. The keys are gone. In the corridor A hunter dressed as a deputy is leaving a trail of blood in his wake. Limping, but determined, he moves quickly. In one hand he holds a set of keys, with the other hand, he pulls out the wood case from his pocket and clicks it open. Inside is a syringe filled with a darkly ominous liquid. Rounding another corner, he spots the holding cells when Stiles whips out from the adjacent corridor and almost collides into him. 

“Oh, hey. Sorry. I was just looking for my…”

He pauses, noticing blood on the Hunter’s pant leg. Looking up, he connects eyes with the man. Stiles turns to run, but the Hunter grabs him, hand slipping over his mouth before he can shout for help. Stiles tries to wrestle free of the Hunter, but he’s vastly outmatched. The only thing he can do is reach out with a free hand and grab the fire alarm. The alarm blares through the station, red emergency lights are flashing above, the Hunter shoves Stiles to the floor. Syringe in hand, he turns to Isaac’s holding cell to find the door already open. The Hunter spins around to face Isaac, now a fully transformed werewolf and Carly looking smug. Fangs bared, Isaac lunges at the Hunter. Scrambling back, Stiles tries to stay out of the way of swiping claws and a stabbing syringe. Carly comes to stand next to him even though Stiles can tell she’s itching to get the fight. Bodies smash from wall-to-wall until finally, Isaac cracks the Hunter’s skull into the drywall, knocking him unconscious. The syringe falls from his hand, rolling away. And then a black boot stops it, crushing it underneath the sole. Derek looks up, his eyes glowing red but Isaac’s murderous gaze fixed on Stiles. Carly looks between the boys and panic starts to take over. She’s not ready to take on a werewolf, especially her best friend, and as mad at her brother as she is she doesn’t want him dead. Isaac lunges forward when Derek steps in front of the new werewolf and roars with a ferocity and power that practically shakes the building. Isaac drops down, cowering back with his arms over his head. When he slowly pulls them away, he’s transformed back to human. Now just a teenager again, confused and frightened. Amazed, Stiles looks to Derek. 

“How’d you do that?”

Eyes dimming back to normal, Derek turns to Stiles. 

“I’m the Alpha.”

Carly makes her way over to Isaac and pulls him in for a hug. 

“It’s okay. You’re going to be okay. Though you have a lot of explaining to do.”

In the hallway Stilinski hits a button on a pad silencing the alarm. Then with other Deputies following quickly behind him, he turns the corner to find his kids standing in front of the open holding cell, the unconscious Hunter lying next to him. 

“Uh... he did it.”


	13. Chapter 13

Carly storms into the subway station with a purpose. She still couldn’t wrap her head around what had happened. Derek had turned her best friend into a werewolf and now he was a wanted fugitive. It was like history repeating, again.

“Derek! Get out here now. I know you’re here. Stop hiding in the shadows and get out here.”

There’s movement from one of the Subway cars and Derek walks out onto the platform as if nothing was bothering him. His face a blank slate of cold, uncaring nothingness. He refused to meet her gaze though and she knew that he was putting on a show.

“Why? Why did it have to be Isaac? You could have turned Jackson, you could have turned anyone. Why did you have to turn my best friend?”

“He wanted it. He asked for it. He made his own choice. I simply laid out the options for him. He needed the strength that comes with being a werewolf.”

Derek takes a few steps closer to Carly, circling her like prey but she’s not afraid. Instead she is filled with the usual warmth of safety that always comes when he’s around.

“He did it for himself but he also did it for you. To protect you. But you don’t need protecting anymore, do you? Why are you really upset, Carly? Is it because your new friends will be hunting him or is it because deep down you do hate what we are?”

Carly rolled her eyes annoyed, “You are so dramatic. Stop circling me like that.” She shoves at him and he stops moving to look at her. “I don’t care if you’re a werewolf. I care that you’re acting like a complete dick.

Derek is about to respond but Isaac walks into the room and eyes the two of them staring each other down.

“Get a room. Seriously, you guys. You’re not fooling anyone.”

Derek moves off in a huff and takes a seat on some boxes. Isaac moves to stand near Carly and pulls her in for a hug.

“You know how much trouble you’re in right now?”

“I didn’t kill him.”

“I know you didn’t. But if you weren’t a werewolf this would be a whole lot easier to fix.” 

“If it wasn’t for Derek, if it wasn’t for being a werewolf I might not be alive. I never told you everything. There were parts of what my dad did to me I never told you. I didn’t want you to be scared. I knew if I told you everything you wouldn’t have been able to keep it from your dad. You just care too much. The night my dad died he threw a glass at me. I got shards of glass in my face. I could have been blinded but then it healed. Derek saved my life, can’t you both just move past whatever happened? The two of you, I know I wasn’t on board at first but it works.”

Carly looked from Isaac to Derek who looked up almost hopeful that this might finally be over. That he might finally get her back and find his center again but then he saw Carly shake her head and all of his hope was lost. He didn’t know how to do this alone. He didn’t know how to be an Alpha or to be “good”.

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

She turned and left leaving both boys stunned.

Carly was halfway home when she felt someone following her and looked behind her to see the same black SUV that she had seen a few minutes ago. Getting off her bike and waiting on the sidewalk she knew what was coming. The SUV pulled to a stop and two guys got out and stood there.

“Really? We’re doing this again?”

Before she could get an answer someone came up behind her and held a cloth to her face until she fell limp in their arms. 

When Carly comes to there’s nothing but darkness. Then the hood is yanked off but a gag is tied around her mouth, she looks around the room and sees Alison also tied to a chair in the Hale House. Then she sees Mr Argent gagged and bound to a chair right next to her and suddenly it all makes sense. Argent breathes hard through his nose, trying to keep calm. 

“Ever wonder what happens if a hunter gets bitten? Ever wonder what happens if you get bitten? What do you think your father would do? What do you think he’d have to do? When all it would take to change everything is one bite.”

Argent fights against his bindings, swinging back and forth in the chair before throwing himself hard onto the floor. With a vicious crack, the chair holding Argent snaps in half. He falls to the floor amid the pieces. Astonished, Allison watches him whip his feet through his bound hands. In seconds, the bindings fall to the floor and Argent rises to his feet. He slowly turns to Allison and Carly and smiles at them. Two men appear behind him and one hands Argent a cell phone. They watch as he presses a button on the phone. 

“One bite.”

Argent clicks it off. 

“And everything changes.”

He unties their gags and Alison continues to glare at her father. 

“Is this how we’re going to do father-daughter talks from now on?”

“No. This is how we’re going to train you. Both of you. Do you know why we use arrows?”

“They can’t heal until it’s taken out.”

He holds out an arrow that sparks a look of familiarity in Allison’s eyes.

“Look familiar?”

“You were going to kill him.”

“That’s right. And if we find Isaac on another full moon, we will kill him. That’s the hard choice we make. But it wasn’t my choice.”

Carly glares at him and he sees her but doesn’t react. 

“Gerard?”

“No. You see, our family has a surprisingly progressive tradition. Knowing wars and violence are typically started by men, we place the final decisions--the hard ones-- with the women. Our sons are trained to be soldiers. Our daughters are trained to be leaders.”

He walks over to Alison and instead of untying her, he places the arrow shaft with the tip pointed up in her hands. He does the same to Carly before moving towards the door of the house.

“And training starts now. Time them.”

Argent and the other Hunter disappear into the shadows, leaving the house. Bennett holds up his phone for them. The display shows a timer now counting the seconds. Gripping the arrowhead, Allison twists it around to start sawing against her bindings. Carly watches her unimpressed as she struggles in her binds.

“Your family really is something. Scott gets a free pass because of you but Isaac, well he’s just hunted down like he means nothing.”

“That wasn’t my decision.”

“No it was your family’s. In case you didn’t understand the cryptic talk, it was your mother’s. You think werewolves are the monsters? You guys are the real monsters.”

“Then why are you here, Carly?”

“Because if I learn how to be like you then I’ll know how to beat you.”

Carly lets the binds around her wrists fall to the floor and she stands up on her feet. She gives Alison a smile before she turns and leaves the house.

The next day Carly is walking to class when she hears a bunch of boys laughing down the hall. She speeds up to see what’s going on when she hears Erika begging them to leave her alone. As Carly approaches the scene the boys knock all of Erika’s books out of her hands and laugh.

“Hey, don’t you idiots have anything better to do than prove why you’re inferior in every way possible? I mean Greyson aren’t you failing like three classes? Trent didn’t you just get arrested for drinking under age and crashing your car into a pole? Pretty sure if anyone should be laughed at here it’s you.”

The boys glare at her before turning and walking away. Carly bends down and picks up Erika’s books for her. Handing them to the girl she gives her a smile.

“Don’t let them get to you. They’re jerks. Someday you’ll get out of here and they’re still just be stuck here. Probably drunk idiots with no life, getting arrested every other week.”

“Thanks. No one’s ever helped me before. Most people just join in or walk by like I’m not even here.”

“High school can be the worst. You just have to find your people. You can be one of my people if you want. Besides in a little while they’ll all have something a lot more entertaining to laugh at.”

Below a brilliantly glowing bank of high bay lights, a rock climbing wall looms over the gym class. Safety lines at their waists, Scott and Allison climb side-by-side, whispering to each other as they move from one hand hold to the next. 

“It had a tail. I don’t have a tail.”

“Maybe you just haven’t grown it yet.”

“I’m not growing a tail. Ever.”

She pauses, and waits for him to reach her level. 

“Are you slowing down for me?”

“I was waiting for you.”

“Waiting for me to catch up?”

“You looked like you were struggling.”

“Maybe I was admiring the view.”

“Oh really? Try admiring from afar.”

She yanks herself up, faster and faster, until she reaches the top with a gasp. Breathless, she turns to see Scott is already there. Smiling victoriously. Charmed, but slightly annoyed, Allison kicks out his foothold. The safety line whips loose and Scott plummets. Just before he lands, his descent halts. But then he drops again. Scott hits the mat with a loud slap. Holding the safety line, Coach allows himself a malicious laugh. 

“McCall, I don’t know why, but your pain gives me a special kind of joy. All right, next two. Stilinski. Erica. Let’s go.”

Stiles steps alongside Erica and hooks himself up before he ascends with enviable speed, Erica slowly drags herself up. Below them, Scott and Allison try to keep their distance among the other students. Neither of them notice Jackson at the back, a dark and distant look in his eyes. As Stiles lands back down on the mats, everyone else looks up to Erica. Pinned on the wall, she’s not moving. 

“Erica? You okay? Dizzy? Vertigo?”

“Vertigo’s a dysfunction of the vestibular system of the inner ear. She’s just freaking out.”

“Erica!”

“I’m fine.”

“Coach, maybe it’s not safe. You know she’s epileptic.”

“She is? Why the hell doesn’t anyone tell me these things? Erica, you’re good. Push off. I’ll ease you down.”

But now she won’t move at all, eyes squeezing shut in fear. Scott steps forward to help and so does Carly. 

“Erica, just let go!”

“It’s okay Erica you got this.”

Closing her eyes, Erica finally pushes off. She swings out, hands grasping desperately for the safety line. Coach grapples with the cord, managing to ease her down. When her feet hit the mat, she slowly turns to face the stares. They gaze on her with that horrible pity in their eyes but Carly is at her side in an instant and throwing glares at everyone.

“That’s it, Erica. Shake it off.”

A few kids snicker, sending her slinking back into the crowd. As she passes him, Scott gives an empathetic smile. After everyone has gone to the locker rooms to change Erica gazes up at the rock wall with determination. She inches up intent on conquering it. With no safety line, she struggles up and up. Nearly at the top of the wall, Erica begins to smile. But when she reaches for the next hand hold, she begins blinking rapidly. A tremor shudders through her stiffening body. Hands releasing their grip, her eyes roll back and she falls, diving head first toward the floor as something surges underneath her, moving with astonishing speed. Arms out, Scott catches her just before she hits. As Erica’s body convulses against him, Scott lowers her to the mats. The doors of the gym clang open, other students pour in to see what’s happening. Stiles is the first to Scott’s aid and then Carly. 

“Put her on her side. “

She helps turn Erica while Alison looks to Scott. 

“How did you know?”

“I felt it.”

He looks back to Erica, who clutches his hand through each and every convulsion.

After watching Erica get carted off in an ambulance everyone went back to the locker room to change back into their street clothes. Scott and Stiles open their lockers and find their clothes have vanished and been replaced by girl clothes. Stiles pulls out the jean skirt and pink t-shirt and turns to Scott.

“Carly.”

Scott pulls out his own pair of shorts with Cutie on the butt and a purple sequined tank top. 

“No. Not happening.”

“We don’t have a choice. You know how this works. We put on the clothes and she forgives us. She probably stashed out clothes in our lockers. I don’t like this anymore than you do.”

“Public humiliation has always been her favorite form of revenge.”

They pull off their gym clothes and change into the clothes left in their lockers. They leave the locker room trying to walk as quickly as they can but word is spreading. Finally the coach steps out of his office.

“Alright. What’s this? Shouldn’t you all be in cla--”

He stops when he sees the boys dressed in girl clothes and shakes his head. 

“Hey, what you like to do in your spare time in your business but..”

“This isn’t what it looks like. Carly-”

“Carly? Your sister did this?” He laughs. “Well that explains the box of clothes on my desk. Go change and my advice, never piss her off again.”

Stiles whips through the cafeteria to one large table occupied by Boyd and his sister. He takes a seat across from them and leans in. 

“You got the keys?”

Boyd pulls out a set of keys from his pocket and holds them up. As Stiles reaches out, Boyd closes his fist over them and Carly grins. She sits back in her chair with her arms folded across her chest. 

“This isn’t a favor. It’s a transaction.”

“Right. Absolutely.”

Stiles slides a twenty dollar bill across the table. Boyd looks at Carly who shakes her head.

“I said fifty.”

“Really? I could have sworn you said twenty. I have a really good verbal memory. There was a distinctive twuh sound. As in twenty.”

“I said fifty. Which has a fuh sound. Hear the difference? If you can’t, I could demonstrate some other words with a fuh sound.”

“No, I think I’m recalling it now. But maybe I got it confused with forty?”

He puts another twenty on the table. Boyd doesn’t even blink. 

“Come on, dude. Have you seen the piece of crap Jeep I drive?”

“You seen the piece of crap bus I take?”

“Help me out here, Carly. I thought we were good now.”

“Hey, this has nothing to do with me. This is between you and the big guy.”

Sighing, Stiles drops another ten on the table. Boyd turns his hand over, keys now held in his palm for Stiles to take. He steps away from Boyd’s table and rushes back to another where Scott sits. 

“Got ‘em. I’ll pick you up tonight after work and we’ll meet at the rink. Cool?”

But Scott doesn’t seem to hear him. Focusing on the sounds around him, the multitude of heartbeats, his eyes gravitate to the cafeteria doors. Stiles follows his gaze to the doors which slowly push open. The din and noise quiets around them. The entire cafeteria seems to turn their heads almost simultaneously as long, toned legs step through the threshold. A figure passes through the crowd, catching every eye. The flash of a bare midriff sends jaws dropping as the stunning figure approaches a boy. Her hand reaches out and grabs a red apple from his tray and takes a bite. Satisfied with the reaction she turns and leaves the room. 

“What the holy hell was that?”

“That’s Erica.” 

Jackson sits at his table, teeth clenched with a palpable rage. Knowing there’s only one way this transformation could have happened. Scott moves for the exit to follow Erica with Stiles right on his heels. Carly excuses herself from her table and follows them out. Even though she already knows what’s happened. The doors clatter open to the parking lot. Scott and Stiles rush out of the school just in time to see Erica sliding into the passenger seat of a black Camaro. Behind the wheel, Derek locks eyes with Scott. With a slight smile turning the corners of his lips. Looking past Scott he sees Carly exit the building and Derek flashes her a big smile before pushing down his sunglasses and driving away. Carly is left fuming.

Later that day, Catching her reflection in a small mirror hanging inside her locker, Erica smiles at herself, loving her new look. But then her smile fades. She takes in a breath, sensing a familiar scent. She turns around and Scott stands in front of her, a dead serious look in his eyes. 

“Two’s not enough for Derek. I know he needs at least three. So who’s next?

“Why’s there have to be a next when we’ve already got you?”

She approaches him, meeting him in the middle of the corridor. 

“Who’s next?”

“You know, I never knew what I looked like during a seizure until someone took a video of me once and put it online.”

“I don’t care.”

“It happened during class. I started seizing at my desk. Everyone’s saying they should put something in my mouth until some genius reads the card on my key ring which tells you not to because it could break my teeth. Know what happens next? I piss myself and everyone starts laughing. You know, the only good thing about seizures was that I never remembered them. Until some brilliant jerkoff has to put a camera in everybody’s phone.”

She comes closer and Scott backs into the wall. She puts her hands up, trapping him. 

“But look at me now.”

Scott, however, looks past her to Allison who watches them. 

“Oh, that’s right. You only have eyes for her.”

Grabbing her wrists, he pulls her hands from the wall, pushing her back. Roughly. Which she seems to like. When he turns again, however, Allison is gone and instead Carly is coming towards them.

“Erica enough. I think he gets it.”

Erica lets him go and backs off walking over to Carly. 

“You’re gonna have to pick a side soon, Carly.”

She turns and walks away leaving Scott staring at Carly with a thousand questions written on his face.

Stiles’s Jeep skids to a halt at the curb in front of Boyd’s house. He jumps out and rushes to the front porch where he rings the bell. Then knocks. Then rings the bell again. Stepping to the side, he peers in through the windows. 

“Boyd? Boyd!”

“What are you doing, Stiles?”

“Looking for... um…”

“Boyd?”

“Yeah. Yes.”

“I don’t think he’s here.”

“Yeah. Probably not.”

“You know what you’re doing right now that’s kind of funny? You’re looking me right in the eyes.”

“That’s funny?”

“Yeah. Because it’s that kind of look where you’re trying not to look anywhere other than my eyes. But you want to, don’t you? You want a nice, long, hard look.”

Unblinking, Stiles nervously shakes his head. 

“Not really, no.”

She draws closer as Stiles backs away. 

“So it’s just my eyes?”

“You have beautiful eyes.”

“I have beautiful everything.”

“And a newfound self-confidence. Congratulations. I should get going.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“Why not?”

“Because you’re having car trouble.”

Erica holds up the starter to Stiles’s Jeep, wires dangling off it. 

“My sister is going to be pissed.”

Erica just smiles and knocks him over the head with the starter.

With only a single light above illuminating the rink, Boyd fires up the ice resurfacer. Spinning the wheel, he turns it around and then stops. Scott walks across the ice toward him. 

“Boyd!”

But the boy looks away, turning the wheel again. He sets off on the resurfacer. 

“I just want to talk. Come on, Boyd, please. Did Derek tell you everything? And I’m not just talking about going out-of-control on full moons. I mean everything.”

Finally, Boyd eases down on the brake, slowing to a stop. 

“He told me about the hunters.”

“And that’s not enough for you to say no?”

Boyd gives a shrug. 

“Whatever he promised you, it’s not worth it. Whatever you want, there’s other ways to get it.”

Boyd turns off the machine. 

“I just want to not eat lunch alone every day. I want more friends than just Carly. ”

“I know what it feels like.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do. Not as bad as you, but a few weeks ago, I broke up with my girlfriend and I didn’t want to have to see her in the cafeteria. So I sat in the hall and ate alone for the day. But the thing is, it actually felt worse. Not just like I didn’t have a girlfriend. But like I didn’t have anyone.”

Boyd nods. 

“I swear, though. If you want friends, you can do better than Derek.”

“That hurts, Scott.”

Derek stands at the entrance to the rink, Isaac and Erica right behind him. 

“But I’ll try not to take it personally. If you’re going to review me, at least take a consensus. Erica, how’s life been for you since we met?”

“In a word? Transformative.”

She opens her mouth to reveal growing fangs. Scott takes a cautious step back. 

“Isaac?”

“I’m a little bummed about being a fugitive, but other than that? I’m great.”

Scott holds his hands up in a placating gesture, taking another step back as Isaac and Erica step forward. 

“Okay, hold on. This isn’t exactly a fair fight.”

“Then go home, Scott.”

But instead of another step back, Scott goes down, a clawed hand cracking into the ice. From a crouched pose, he snaps his head up to reveal himself transformed into a werewolf. 

“I meant fair for them.”

Baring his fangs, Scott roars and launches himself up for the attack. Scott throws a punch hitting Isaac in the gut and he smashes down onto the ice and goes sliding across it. Launching himself back onto his feet, he snarls through his fangs. Erica hurtles across the rink toward Scott. But with acrobatic precision, Scott digs his claws into the ice and kicks out at her, sending her flipping into the air. Derek watches the wolves circle and fight, silently pleased by the vicious attacks they launch on each other. 

“Don’t you get it? He’s not doing this for you. He’s just adding to his own power. It’s all about him.”

Laid out on the ice, an injured Erica and Isaac glance at each other, now no longer nearly as confident. 

“You feel like he’s giving you some kind of gift, when all he’s really done is turn you into a bunch of guard dogs.”

“It’s true. It is about power.”

Derek walks across the ice and with each step he seems to grow. Eyes turning red, fangs snapping out from his gums, claws unsheathing from fingertips. Scott scrambles into a retreat, but Derek moves like lightning. He grabs him by the back of his jacket. The two wolves go up, snarling and snapping at each other’s throats. But Derek is the Alpha. And he proves it. He slashes Scott’s side with his claws and then with the full weight of his power behind him, lifts him up over his head and slams him down onto the ice. Shards and chunks fly up around the boy. Blood at his lips, Scott is down for the count. Suddenly Carly makes her way across the ice to stand in front of Isaac and Erica.

“Enough.”

Derek turns to look at her with a grin but backs away from Scott to stand next to her. Scott looks at her in confusion.

“Erica told me earlier I needed to pick a side, remember? What none of us realized at the time was that I already had. Before I even knew about werewolves I picked my side. We don’t have to fight, Scott. We can work together if you just put aside your childish ideas of nobility. The hunters are here. They’re not coming. They’re here. They’re not just after Derek. They will come for you too. Argents little promise won’t save you. They’re liars. They’re the bad guys.”

Carly steps forward to help Scott to his feet.

“You know what I learned when they kidnapped me for the second time?”

All the wolves look surprised at Carly’s comments.

“They’re not above doing whatever it takes to get what they want. They don’t need proof anymore. In their eyes this is war and they think we’re the monsters. In reality they are the monsters. They are the ones responsible for all of this. Do you know why you’re able to keep your hands clean, Scott? Because there’s people like Derek, like Isaac, like Erica who are willing to get their hands dirty for you.”

Scott’s confidence seems to have wavered as he takes Carly’s hand and stands on his feet. He looks at Boyd one last time but knows it’s a fight he won’t win.

“You don’t want it. You don’t want to be like them.”

Boyd lifts up his shirt to reveal a blood crusted wound at his side. He’s already been bitten. 

“Like us. You know self hate is really damaging. You should talk to someone about that because in case you forgot Scott. You’re one of them.”

Turning she walks away with the four werewolves following behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

Once outside the Ice rink Isaac, Boyd, Erica and Derek stop walking. Carly not hearing them behind her anymore stops and turns to them. She raises an eyebrow but before she can say anything Isaac has her wrapped in a hug. 

“Isaac..human here.”

He lets go and takes a step back. Erica and Boyd are grinning. They’re a pack. A family. 

“If you all keep looking at me like that I’m changing my mind and going back in with Scott.”

Derek steps forward blocking her path.

“Go home. Carly and I need to talk.”

Derek doesn’t take his eyes off Carly as the three betas leave the parking lot. His eyes scan her for any sign of harm.

“Derek. I’m fine.”

“When? When did they kidnap you again?”

“A couple of nights ago. It was part of a training exercise. Nothing I couldn’t handle.”

He walks over and takes her face in his hands as if he’s afraid this isn’t actually happening.

“This is what you want? You know being with us, it’s not going to be easy. Your brother, Scott-”

“I know but it wasn’t a choice. It’s always been you, Derek. You know that. I love my brother but he’s always going to be loyal to Scott and he’s loyal to Alison. I’ve spent enough time with Alison and her family lately to know I can’t trust them. They’re not following a code anymore. It’s war.”

Derek doesn’t say anything he just leans in and presses his lips to hers. He knows they can’t stay here but he doesn’t care. He lifts her up and carries her towards his car, pressing her up against it before pulling back for air. 

“We need to get you home.” 

He strokes her face and presses a kiss to her forehead but Carly pulls him back to her lips.

“Dads working late. He won’t notice.”

She grins before turning and opening the door and climbing in the backseat. Derek glances around before climbing in after her. Leaving him had been her way of trying to protect him but she realized now there was no protecting him. Not when they were apart.

Carly climbs in through her bedroom window just as the sun comes up. She rolls onto her bed as the light flicks on. For a minute she panics before she realizes it’s just her brother. 

“Not really in the mood for a lecture, Stiles.”

Stiles can see that something is different about her. She’s happy and it’s like the weight of the world has been lifted off her shoulders. 

“Wasn’t planning on giving you one. Just figured it’s been awhile since we talked. We used to talk all the time. Then werewolves came into our lives and we stopped talking. But now’s the time we probably should be talking the most. It’s not like we can go to dad about this stuff.”

“Even though we’re not on the same sides?”

“We’re always on the same side. We might have different packs but I’m always going to have your back. You’re my sister. My twin. We’re the same.”

Carly grins, kicks off her shoes and lays down on one side of the bed before motioning for Stiles to join her. He flips off the light and jumps onto the other side of the bed and lays facing her.

“Okay so..”

At the end of the dark corridor, Isaac stands with his hands at his sides, head slung low. He takes a breath, teeth clenched and goes down. Hands hitting the pavement, Isaac launches himself forward in a lope. Pushing off with his feet, he springs up with power and grace, heading right for Derek. Standing like a monolith, waiting until the very last second as Isaac leaps at him in a ferocious attack. When Derek finally moves, it’s fast and focused. He grabs Isaac and twists the boy around, slamming him back down to the cement. Out of the shadows, Erica appears, bounding up to swing a clawed hand at Derek. But he takes her out even more brutally. Hand wrapping around her ankle, he sends her sprawling across the floor. Boyd looks out from behind a steel column, shyly eyeing Erica. Smiling back at him, she pushes herself up. 

“Anyone want to try not being completely predictable?”

He spins as Erica attacks again. She lands right on him, literally latching onto his torso with her legs. He staggers back with her attached to him when she kisses him. Lips and tongue all over his. For just a moment, Derek allows it. But then he breaks her grip and drops her back to the floor. Right on her ass. 

“That’s the last time you do that.”

“You said to be unpredictable.”

“Not like that. Not with me. Besides I have someone else in mind for you.” 

A weary Isaac pulls himself to his feet. 

“We done? There’s about a hundred bones in my body that could use a few hours to heal.”

Derek grabs his arm and clenches down on it. The sharp crack of bone is followed by Isaac’s ear-piercing scream.

“Hundred and one.” 

As Isaac cradles his arm, Carly comes running to his aide. 

“What the hell Derek?

“I’m teaching them to survive. What happened at the ice rink? If that happens out there he’ll get worse than a broken arm.”

“You think breaking his bones is the way to teach them anything? After the way he’s used to being treated? You know what his dad did and you’re doing the same thing.”

Derek backs down a little his anger and ego both deflating a little. He knows she’s right. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. He doesn’t know how to be an alpha.

“If they want us dead how come they’re not coming after us now? What are they waiting for?”

“I don’t know. But they’re planning something. And you especially know that’s not the only problem... Whatever killed Isaac’s father? I think it killed someone else last night. Until I figure out what it is, all of you need to learn everything I know. As fast as I can teach you.”

“We. As fast as we can teach you.”

That night, Erica, Boyd and Carly are in the crowded bleachers of the high school. The lacrosse game is nearly over and Beacon Hills is losing. Player after player is being taken out and Stiles is nowhere to be found. Coach is looking panicked with no other players to call to the field. He notices Boyd through the crowd.

“You! Can you play lacrosse?”

Boyd looks up as the crowd's heads turn to look, he stands and pulls off his jacket. 

“Derek won’t like this.”

“Yeah... But I will.”

They both look at Carly who shrugs.

“Do you think you can keep it under control?”

Boyd nods confidently and Carly waves him off.

“Then go have fun.”

Boyd runs down the field to Coach who gets him ready to go on the field. Erica shakes her head and looks at Carly.

“This is going to end badly.”

“Probably but he’ll never learn if he doesn’t learn the hard way. He’s never going to listen to us. He thinks he has this. Tonight he’ll learn it’s not that easy.”

A mountain of a player on the other team gets the ball in the pocket of his lacrosse stick and charges forward. As Beacon Hills Players move to get out of the way, only Boyd stands his ground. Cleats digging in, he drops a shoulder and collides with his massive opponent. This time, the player flying through the air is The Abomination. As his huge body tumbles to the grass and dirt. Coach leaps up, hollering. 

“The bigger they are, baby! The bigger. They. Are!”

For the first time in far too long for a sixteen year-old, Boyd smiles. Taking in the cheers. Basking in the glory. Even Scott’s look of apprehension turns to one of conflict as he watches the change in Boyd’s confidence. But then Boyd notices Jackson looking at him with more than a little curiosity. The look of someone who knows your secret. The Ref blows the whistle. Heart pounding, Boyd turns back to take his position for the next play, unaware that his eyes are beginning to glow yellow. Now there are two werewolves on the field. One with far less control over his abilities and his anger. With the game tied, the scoreboard clock clicks down to one minute left. Allison glances from the clock to her phone to see a text from Stiles.

Nothing here! 

On the field Scott lines up next to Boyd. 

“You need to get off the field. Your eyes. Someone’s going to see you.”

But breathing hard, Boyd doesn’t listen. The whistle blows and he takes off, moving fast. With no other option, Scott goes after him. Eyes on the ball bouncing across the grass, Boyd races for it. But Scott kicks in a second of super speed and gets to it first, stealing it right out from under him. With the crowd hushing to near silence, Scott lets the ball fly. As it hits the net, a winning goal, The Abomination takes Scott off his feet. In the bleachers Melissa stands, hands moving to her mouth in the reflex of someone stifling a scream. Carly and Erica are on their feet scanning the field for Boyd. Scott lands on his leg with a brutal crack. The whistle blows, clock at zero. Beacon Hills has won. Shocked by Scott’s fall, Allison springs to her feet. Gerard looks up, noticing her concern. Without another second of hesitation, she rushes down. Gripping his leg in pain, Scott sees Allison approach, pushing past the other players. 

“I’m fine--it’s healing--I’m fine. The book-- Allison It’s not in his office. It’s got to be at the house.”

“Scott, your leg. Oh my God, your leg is broken.”

“Not... for long.”

Melissa, Coach and Gerard reach Scott who amazingly begins to hobble to his feet. 

“Scott--”

“I’m okay, I’m okay!”

The crowd around him watches in disbelief as he gingerly touches his foot back down to the grass. He gives a weak smile. Allison notices even Gerard gazing on in surprise. 

“I could have sworn I literally heard bone breaking from where I sat.”

“Heard it? I felt it.”

“Seriously, guys. I’m fine.”

Allison takes Gerard by the arm. 

“We should go.”

Carly watches the scene from the bleachers, Erica has vanished during the commotion but she doesn’t seem worried. 

Derek is standing by the edge of the pool with his arms crossed over his chest. Erica shoves Stiles into the darkened pool area. 

“Stiles. What did you see at the mechanic’s garage?”

“Several alarming EPA violations that I’m seriously considering reporting.”

Derek picks up a basketball off a bench and punctures it with a claw, deflating it. He lets the crumpled remains fall to the floor at Stiles’s feet. 

“Let’s try this again…”

Erica and Derek wait for Stiles to explain. 

“All right, the thing was pretty slick looking. Skin was dark, kind of patterned. I think I actually saw scales. Is that enough? Because I have someone I really need to talk to.”

Behind him, something on the wall begins to crawl into view. 

“Okay, um... Eyes. It’s eyes are yellowish. Slitted. It has a lot of teeth.”

Becoming alarmed, Derek and Erica watch the creature crawl down the wall headfirst, tail flicking up and about. 

“Oh, and it has a tail. Okay, we good? What? Have you seen it? You’ve got this look like you know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Then he notices Derek and Erica are not looking at him, but past him. Stiles spins around just as the creature leaps off the wall. Erica darts in front of Derek to protect him, but the thing moves too fast for her. Whipping about, it shoves her across the floor. Her head snaps brutally into the wall. While she slumps unconscious Derek grabs Stiles to get him out of the way. The creature’s claws slice through the air, tail snaking up. 

“Run!”

He pushes Stiles up toward an exit door and turns back just as a clawed foot lands on his chest. Kicked back, Derek flies past Stiles and tumbles across the tile floor. Pushing up, Derek flips back onto his feet, eyes flaring with an angry red glow. 

“Get behind me.”

Stiles nods, retreating back. But when he does, something catches his eye. A slash mark at the nape of Derek’s neck. Exactly how the Mechanic was cut. 

“Derek. Your neck…”

As he turns to Stiles, hand coming up to his neck, Derek’s legs give out. He drops to his knees on the floor, paralysis taking hold. 

“Scott--get Scott.”

But instead of running, Stiles grabs him. Pulling Derek’s arm over his shoulder, he attempts to drag him to the exit just a few yards beyond the edge of the pool. 

“Carly would kill me if I left you here. Where is it? Do you see it?”

“No. Hurry.”

Derek struggles to stay on his feet with the little strength he has left. Stiles pulls his phone from his jacket. 

“Stiles--what are you doing--Stiles!”

Behind them, the creature emerges from the darkness, slow and stealthy in its approach. As Derek’s strength disappears, Stiles loses his balance. Forced to use both hands to hold Derek, Stiles drops his phone to the tile floor. But then Derek slips out of his grasp as well. As Stiles gropes for a hold on him, Derek tumbles backwards and goes right into the pool. Without hesitating, Stiles jumps in after the sinking Derek. Water splashes up, waves rippling out. Then, just as the pool seems to settle, Stiles and Derek burst to the surface, gasping for air. 

“Where’d it go? Do you see it?”

“No.”

Clutching a now completely paralyzed Derek, Stiles gives a hopeful glance around. 

“Maybe--maybe it took off.”

A piercing shriek comes out of the darkness. 

“Maybe not.”

Stiles struggles to keep Derek above the surface of the water while glancing about for the creature. 

“Get me out of here before I drown.”

“You’re worried about drowning? Did you notice the thing out there with multiple rows of razor-sharp teeth?”

“Did you notice I’m paralyzed from the neck down in eight feet of water?”

“Okay, okay, I don’t see it.”

Kicking out, Stiles draws Derek toward the pool’s edge.

“Stop!”

Stiles splashes to a halt. Both of them spot the glowing eyes at the other side of the pool. 

“What’s it waiting for?”

But Derek doesn’t respond, watching that perfectly still pair of eyes as if trying to find the answer in them. From the center of the pool, Stiles and Derek watch the creature approach the edge. But then, oddly, it retreats back. 

“You see that? I don’t think it can swim.”

Derek meets Stiles’s eyes. They turn back to the creature which hisses, slashing at the water. Darting forward only to back away a moment later. Energy waning, a breathless Stiles adjusts his grip on Derek. 

“I don’t know how much longer I can do this.”

As the creature continues to circle the pool, Stiles glances to his phone on the wet tile nearby. 

“Don’t even think about it.”

“Can you trust me for half a second?”

“No.”

“I’m the one keeping you alive if you hadn’t noticed.”

“When the paralysis wears off, who’s the one who’s going to be able to fight that thing? You or me?”

“So that’s why I’ve been holding you up for two hours?”

“Yes. You don’t trust me. I don’t trust you. But you need me to survive. Which is why you’re not letting me go.”

Stiles looks Derek dead in the eye. And lets him go. Derek sinks to the bottom of the pool eyes wide, lips pursed together as he tries to hold his breath, while above Stiles scrambles over the edge of the pool. He turns to see the creature quickly bounding out of the shadows, coming right toward him. Slipping across the wet tile, Stiles snatches his phone up, turning as he hears the creature shriek. With a desperate leap, he jumps back into the water. Hand shooting up, he manages to keep the phone above the surface. He dials Scott, while glancing down to see Derek at the bottom of the pool. Beginning to drown. Stiles looks to his phone which reads: Dialing Scott. Finally Scott picks up.

“Sorry can’t talk right now.”

Scott hangs up and Stiles gazes at his phone, incredulous. Unable to even speak. He looks down at Derek who is still under water. With no other choice, he lets the phone go and dives down to Derek. A moment later, they burst to the surface. 

“Tell me... you got him.”

But the look on Stiles’s face says otherwise. Legs kicking with more and more effort, Stiles and Derek keep dipping below the surface. 

“I can’t--I can’t stay up. I need to hold on to something.”

“The diving board. Try to reach…”

Freeing one hand, Stiles swims them toward the diving board. But when he reaches up to grab it, his fingers slip. They both go under, descending into the dark when two hands burst down through the surface. Carly grabs onto her brothers arm and starts trying to pull him up. With Stiles help she is able to hoist the both of them onto the edge of the pool. Falling down onto the tile to catch her breath she shakes out her arm. The creature approaches from the shadows and Carly pulls herself to her feet to stand between it and the boys. The creature slowly moves closer to her but doesn’t make any move to harm or paralyze her. It tilts its head as it seems to be examining her. Carly doesn’t back down and tries not to show any fear as she stares it down. There’s something familiar about it. She swears she sees it’s eyes change to something more familiar but then out of nowhere Scott runs into the room and heads for her. 

“Scott don’t!”

But Scott doesn’t listen and instead shoves Carly out of the way, sending her crashing into the diving board. Her head cracks off the edge of it with a sickening thud as she falls to the tiled floor. Blood is pooling around her head and Derek tries to move to check on her but he’s still suffering from the paralysis. Stiles makes it to his sister and pulls her to him, his hands covered in blood. He looks at Scott who seems shocked by his own actions but before he can say or do anything about it the creature is coming at him. It’s almost like he angered it. Scott leaps up to meet it in mid-air. Both crash to the tile floor, clawing and snarling at each other. The creature wraps a tail around Scott’s leg and lifts him right off the floor with it. Scott hurtles back, tossed into a wall mirror. Glass shatters, fragments raining down. The creature inches forward for the kill. Desperate, Scott grabs one of the larger mirror shards to use as a weapon. And then something strange happens. The creature pauses, focusing on its own reflection in the glass, almost as if confused by it. Baring a fearsome set of double-rowed teeth, the creature hisses at itself and retreats back. It leaps onto the wall. Crawling across it like a spider, the creature darts out one of the high windows and disappears into the night. With a breath of relief, Scott lets the mirror shard fall to the floor. Then turns back to see Stiles and a still weak Derek huddled around an unconscious Carly. Stiles has tears falling down his face as he cradles his sister, neither man dares to look up at Scott. Erica slowly starts to come to and realizes what’s happened. She moves over to her Alpha and puts a hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll get Boyd and Isaac. She needs to get to a hospital.”

She leaves and Derek looks at Scott finally, his face unreadable. 

“Take Stiles out of here. I’ll clean this up.”

Scott nods and pulls his best friend away from his sister. Stiles struggles and tries to get free but Scott is too strong. Derek takes Carly into his arms and carries her over to a bench and places her head on some towels as the boys run in to help. 

Outside in the parking lot Stiles is reluctantly helping Scott. Scott plugs the USB drive into his laptop on the hood of his mother's car. On the computer screen a document appears. Pages and pages of strange black and white images amid thick paragraphs of almost illegible text. 

“That’s not English.”

“Is that even a language?”

“How are we supposed to figure out what this thing is?”

“It’s called the Kanima.”

Derek approaches with Carly in his arms. He’s covered in blood but he has a towel pressed to Carly’s head. Isaac, Boyd, and Erica follow behind him. All of them glare at Scott who looks away.

“You knew the whole time?”

“No. Only when it was confused by its own reflection.”

“It doesn’t know what it is.”

“Or who.”

“What else do you know?”

“Just stories and rumors.”

“But it’s like us?”

“A shape-shifter. But it's not right. It’s…”

He searches for the word, but it’s Stiles who finds it. 

“An abomination.”

Derek nods. 

“Derek. We need to work together on this. Maybe we even need to tell the Argents.”

“You’d trust them?”

“No one trusts anyone. That’s the problem. And while we’re arguing about who’s on what side, something stronger, faster and scarier than any of us is killing people and we still don’t know anything about it.”

“I know one thing. When I find it... I’m going to kill it. You need to get Carly to the hospital. She’s lost a lot of blood. I would take her but Isaac and I aren’t exactly in a position to be around your dad.”

He’s speaking to Stiles as he puts Carly in the back seat of the Jeep. Erica climbs in and keeps the towel pressed against her head.

“Erica’s going to go with you. You’ll need to come up with a story. No one can know the truth.”

He turns to look at Scott who looks ashamed before looking at the unmoving form of his friend. Stiles can’t speak having seen his sister’s prone body again. His mind instantly goes to worst case scenarios. He pulls out his keys and jumps in the driver's seat. He doesn’t wait before hitting the gas and thanking the universe his jeep starts on the first try. He speeds off to the hospital. 

He pulls up in front of the hospital moments before Scott. He doesn’t even look for a parking space just stopping at the doors and climbing out. Erica carries Carly and they rush through the doors yelling for help.

“Help. We need help.”

Melissa hears the familiar voice of her sons best friend and comes running. Seeing the boy covered in blood and his sister in Erica’s arms not moving. She takes a second to register the scene in front of her as her son runs in after them. 

“She needs help. She hit her head. She’s lost a lot of blood. She won’t wake up.”

Tears start to run down Stiles' face despite his best efforts to fight them off. Snapping into action Melissa grabs a gurney and helps Erica place Carly on it. She pulls out her pen light and checks her eyes for response. 

“How long ago did this happen?”

“Maybe five, ten minutes.”

“Stiles you need to call your father, now. You’ll have to wait here.”

Stiles seems ready to fight her about leaving his sisters side and she puts a hand on his arm as nurses and doctors rush over and start to push the gurney away towards the rooms. 

“I’ve got this Stiles. We’re going to do everything we can. Call your dad.”

She hurries off after the doctors as Stiles turns around and rings his fingers through his hair. He punches a wall and cries out in pain. Scott tries to come help him but he pushes him away.

“Don’t. I know it was an accident but that’s my sister Scott and you did that. You. My best friend. If she dies--”

Erica steps in between the boys.

“She’s not going to die. She’s a fighter.”

Stiles looks up at her and wants to believe her. The confidence on Erica’s face almost makes him but he can see the sadness and worry there too. She cares about Carly just as much as he does. Pulling out his phone he calls his father.

“Dad, you need to come to the hospital now. It’s Carly.”


	15. Chapter 15

The Sheriff races through the doors of the hospital, eyes scanning for his son or Melissa. His face is panicked and distraught. 

“Dad.”

Stiles walks out of Carly’s room and waves his dad down. The Sheriff runs to him and hugs him briefly before following him into the room. Carly is hooked up to the machines and her head is bandaged. The sheriff moves over to her bed and takes her hand.

“What happened?”

“It was at the lacrosse game everyone was celebrating our win. She got lost in the crowd and they knocked her around. She must have fallen because when I found her next she was on the ground. She hit her head on a rock.”

The Sheriff nods and squeezes his daughters hand as Stiles comes to stand next to him. 

“She’s going to be okay dad. The Doctors will fix this.”

As if on cue Melissa walks into the room and smiles at them.

“It looks worse than it is. I promise. She’s perfectly healthy. She lost a lot of blood and there was a bit of swelling so we sedated her while it went down. But she’s going to be fine. It could have been a lot worse. We have to monitor her but if everything goes well she could be home tomorrow.”

“So she should be waking up soon?”

“That’s actually why I came in here. The sedative should be wearing off. She should start responding.”

Carly squeezes her dad's hand and he jumps a little in surprise. She starts to move around a bit before finally opening her eyes and seeing two of the most important people in her life. But Derek wasn’t there and though she knew why she couldn’t help but be disappointed. As if he was able to read her face, Stiles leaned in to give her a hug.

“He’s here. He’s just keeping his distance. Guess the tin man does have a heart after all.”

She looked at her brother in surprise and a little amusement. She knew her brother didn’t like Derek. She wasn’t sure if it was because she did or because of his sparkling personality. She could tell he was making an effort to get used to him being around, if only for her.

“I hope you know that when you do get out of here I’m not letting you out of my sight. Ever again.”

“Dad, I’m going to be okay and you still have to work and I have school. It was an accident. It happens. How many times have we had to come visit you in here, huh?”

“That’s not the point.”

Carly shrugs and smiles like she just won something.

“I beg to differ.”

Stiles was at the candy machine trying to decide on what crappy candy he was going to eat. He knew he needed to eat more than candy but he didn’t want to leave Carly’s side. Not after what happened. In the glass of the machine he sees Scott walk up behind him. 

“How is she?”

Stiles refuses to turn around and look at his best friend. He still can’t get the image of what happened out of his head. Of what Scott did to his sister.

“She’ll be fine. There was some swelling in her brain but your mom says she’s going to be okay. She should be able to go home tomorrow.”

“That’s good. Stiles, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to--I was just trying to--”

Stiles turns around to face his best friend but he's angry and he's angry at Scott which is a new thing for them. 

“I know you were just trying to help but you have these powers now and you’re supposed to use them to help people. That’s who you are. You help everyone. Yet, my sister almost died. Not because of the Kanima. Not because of Derek but because of you. The one person I never thought would-She’s my sister and she almost died.”

Stiles breaks down, unable to keep up the act anymore and Scott pulls him in for a hug.

Later that night Stiles is sprawled out asleep in a chair by Carly’s bed. The sheriff walks in with a coffee and some sodas and kicks the legs of Stiles chair to wake him up. 

“Were...What”

His dad hands him a soda before opening one for Carly and putting it on her bed tray.

“Dad, you look exhausted. You should go home and get some sleep. A couple hours. Shower, eat some real food, get some work done. I’m not going anywhere and I’m fine. I get to go home in the morning.”

“No. I’m fine. I can stay.”

“Dad, you stink. You might want to go get that shower.”

Carly tries to hide a snicker as their dad glares at Stiles. 

“A few hours and then I’ll be back. You stay with your sister.”

Stiles nods as their dad takes his coffee and places a kiss on Carly’s forehead. No sooner is he out the door than Derek appears in the doorway. Stiles jumps as he closes the door.

“Jesus.”

“Derek. But I get the confusion.”

Carly groans and rolls her eyes as Stiles cringes. Derek smirks going over to kiss her and check her for any signs of harm besides her head.

“Does it hurt?”

“No. They have me on some pretty strong painkillers right now. I get to go home in the morning.”

“Good. What were you doing? How did you even know where we were?”

“I don’t know. I was in the crowd and then I felt like..like something was wrong. I felt fear and I just knew you were in trouble. I guess the same way I always know when you’re around.”

“So you just decided the best idea was to run head first into danger? You stood there and you weren’t afraid.”

“I knew he wouldn’t hurt me. I looked into his eyes and I could see it. I don’t think he wants to hurt anyone. I think he’s being forced to do it and I think I know who it is.”

Stiles perks up suddenly very interested in the conversation. 

“It was Jackson. When I was staring at him his eyes changed. Just for a second and it was him. I’m sure of it. You bit him, didn’t you?”

Derek avoids her gaze for a second and nods. 

“Why? Why Jackson? You hate him.”

“He thought it would kill him. Jackson knew too much. The bite turns you or kills you. Isn’t that, right?”

Derek glares at Stiles but Carly squeezes his hand. 

“Stiles. Stop. What happened happened but now we need to stop Jackson. Without killing him.”

“What if we can’t?”

“I can.”

Lying on a weightlifting bench, Jackson stares up with steely eyed focus. He grips a bar with two plates on each side and lifts it off the rack. Tendons in his neck stretched taut, he pushes out three reps. 

“More.”

Another two plates go on the bar with a heavy clunk.

“More.”

A reluctant pause. Two more plates slide on. Jackson takes a breath and pushes up. Only two reps this time. Hands dart in to grasp the bar. His spotter, Danny, guides the weight back onto the rack. 

“I said--don’t help me.”

“Don’t help you as in don’t spot you? Or don’t help you as in let the bar crush your throat?”

Jackson glares at the reddened palms of his hands. 

“I should be able to do twice that.”

“On the surface of the moon, maybe.”

Removing the two extra plates, Danny turns to go. 

“I’m hitting the shower. If I come back and you’re lying dead under a pile of weight, I’m taking the Porsche.”

As Danny steps away, Jackson lies back on the bench. When he grips the bar again sounds drift toward him, rising into pristine focus. A drop of water. The whirl of a fan. Something metallic jangles. And then the roar of the shower causes him to flinch. Jackson shakes his head and the sounds quiet to a whisper. He returns his attention to the bar. He pumps out a rep. The second hits his chest, slowing on the return up. Eyes squeezed shut with effort, he doesn’t see Erica’s hand slip under the bar and guide it back onto the rack as if it weighed nothing. Bracelets on her wrist jangle softly, the same noise Jackson heard a moment ago. 

“Thanks.”

Erica leans over the bar. 

“Any time.”

Jackson blinks, barely having a moment to react, when Erica’s hand strikes down to grab him. 

Jackson tumbles across the floor of the station. As he rolls to a stop, Isaac drags him to his feet to face Derek. 

“What happened to you on the night of the full moon?”

“What? Nothing. Nothing happened.”

“You’re lying.”  
Derek begins slipping on a pair of black gloves. 

“Woah, wait a second. I can prove it. I taped myself.”

Issac steps forward and raises an eyebrow at Jackson?

“You taped yourself?”

“Yes. It was the full moon. And maybe while you were curled up in a corner having an existential crisis about turning into a monster, I was preparing for the so-called “gift” your big, bad Alpha promised me. And what did I get? Nothing. You want proof? Let me get the video.”

“I’ve got a better idea.”

With gloved hands, Derek holds up a shard of mirrored glass. The same broken glass in which the Kanima saw its reflection by the swimming pool. 

“What is that?”

Derek tilts the shard, letting a drop of clear, viscous liquid slide menacingly across it. 

“You know, Jackson, you’ve always been kind of a snake.”

Isaac grabs Jackson, pinning his arms behind him as Erica yanks his head back, forcing his mouth open. 

“And everyone knows a snake can’t be poisoned by its own venom.”

A drop slides down the glass, clinging to the edge. Derek tilts the glass and let’s the venom drip right into Jackson’s mouth. Erica shoves his jaw closed as he struggles and writhes against Isaac. Until finally, they let him go, retreating to Derek’s side. Jackson staggers back, spitting and wiping at his mouth. Then glares up at them with a mixture of fear and hatred. The three wolves tense, preparing for the worst. But Jackson simply blinks, swaying to the side as if dizzy. And then he falls. Knees buckling, he crumbles to the floor. His body stiffens, muscles paralyzing, until all he can do is lie there, staring up with wide, terrified eyes. Derek’s disappointed face comes into view. 

“You’re still a snake, Jackson. Just not the one we’re looking for.”

As Derek walks away, Isaac takes his place, kneeling down.   
“But you’re going to do one more thing for us. Actually... for me.”

Jackson sits in the Sheriff’s station across from Sheriff Stilinski who appears to be trying to keep himself from exploding in anger. 

“So now you’re saying you didn’t see Isaac arguing with his father before the murder?”

“Not... exactly.”

“Not exactly or no? Because when it comes to the law there’s a pretty large divide between not exactly and no. If not exactly were sitting in this chair, no would be somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Drowning. Along with my career. So which is it? Not exactly or no?”

“No?”

Stilinski slumps back down in his chair.

“Ah, crap.”

Stiles slips in between other students entering for the start of class and grabs a seat next to Scott. 

“I just talked to my Dad who just talked to Jackson and I’ve got bad news. Terrible, horrible, very bad news.”

“I think I already know.”

He nods to the back of the room where Isaac now sits. Back in school. A slight but sinister smile at his lips.

Walking slowly but with determination, Scott steps past the bleachers on the lacrosse field, heading for the middle of the field. The newly muscular and newly confident Boyd turns to face him, a challenge in his eyes. 

“I need to talk to Derek.”

“Talk to me.”

“I don’t want to fight.”

“Good. ‘Cause I’m twice the size of you.”

“True.”

As Boyd approaches, Scott’s gaze goes up and up. 

“Really, really true. But you know what I think?”

He lowers himself to a fighting stance. 

“I’m twice as fast.”

Hands pushing off the ground, Scott lunges forward. Boyd swipes out, but Scott easily dodges the blow. Grabbing onto Boyd’s large frame to use it against him, Scott flips up and kicks out, sending Boyd’s muscular body crashing to the ground. Breathless, Scott lands back on his feet and meets Derek’s eyes. He seems to have appeared out of nowhere. 

“She failed the test.”

“Which doesn’t prove anything. Lydia’s different.”

“I know. At night she turns into a homicidal, walking snake.”

“I’m not going to let you kill her.”

“Who said I was going to do it?”

Realization dawns on him, Scott turns back to the school and the girl he left vulnerable to two other werewolves. Scott starts back for the school but Boyd grabs him, shoving him to the ground in front of Derek. 

“I don’t know why you think you have to protect everyone now, Scott. You didn’t protect Carly. But even so, Lydia’s killed people. She’s going to do it again. Next time it’s going to be one of us.”

“What if you’re wrong?”

“She was bitten by an Alpha. It’s her.”

“You saw that thing up close. You know it’s not like us.”  
“But it is. We’re all shapeshifters. You don’t know what you’re dealing with. I only know because of my sister. It happens rarely. And it happens for a reason.”

“What reason?”

“Sometimes the shape you take reflects the person you are.”

Derek pulls him back to his feet, looking him in the eye. 

“Even Stiles calls her cold-blooded.”

“What if she’s immune? What if she’s got something inside her that made her immune to the bite? And it’s also why she didn’t get paralyzed?”

Boyd glances at Derek. Noticing his Alpha’s hesitation. 

“No one’s immune. I’ve never heard of it or seen it. It’s never... It’s never happened.”

Scott watches him carefully, noticing his pause. 

“Then what about Jackson? I know Carly thought it was him. I know you bit him. If you tested Lydia it’s because you already tested Jackson.”

The bomb drops exactly the way Scott was hoping. Derek doesn’t respond. Gaining confidence, Scott inches toward him. 

“Peter said the bite either kills you or turns you. But nothing happened. Right? And you have no idea why, do you?”

“No.”

“Well, I’ve got a theory. Lydia’s immune and somehow she passed it onto Jackson. You know I’m right.”

“No. I don’t.”

“You can’t do this. Carly won’t forgive you.”

“I can’t let her live. Carly will understand.”  
“I was hoping I could convince you. But then... I wasn’t counting on it.”

Derek blinks, the realization of something wrong sending his now uncertain gaze back to the school. Boyd looks at him, questioningly. 

“Go.”

As Boyd turns to run for school, Derek spins back to find Scott has used his moment of surprise Scott’s gone.

That night Derek is Standing outside of Scott’s house while Isaac and Erica are inside. There’s a fight going on inside as they try to retrieve Lydia from Scott and his friends. By his side, Boyd waits for Derek to enter the fight. From inside, they hear crashing. Furniture splintering. And then a powerful roar. As the house goes silent, Boyd throws Derek an uncertain glance. But the Alpha looks oddly pleased. The front door flies open. Isaac hurtles out and lands with a thud on the grass. Erica’s paralyzed body tumbles to the grass next to him. Eyes burning with a furious yellow glow, Scott McCall steps confidently over the threshold. Stiles and Allison follow, remaining on the porch as Scott strides down the steps. 

“I think I’m finally getting why you keep refusing me, Scott. You’re not an Omega. You’re already an Alpha. Of your own pack.”

Stiles and Allison glance at each other, realizing who Derek is talking about.

“But you know you can’t beat me.”

“I can hold you off until backup gets here.”

Derek cocks his head, listening. The faint sound of a car approaching. And then something else an odd scurrying. The clicking of sharp claws. Scott hears it too. All eyes follow theirs, everyone glancing up to see A sinewy, jet black body perched on the roof of the McCall home, glowing eyes peering down at them. The Kanima. Thin lips curling back to expose a double row of teeth, it opens its jaws and unleashes an inhuman shriek. Everyone takes a step back as the creature darts across the roof and leaps off. In a flash it’s escaped to the other side of the house, disappearing into the darkness. Derek turns to Boyd and nods to Isaac and Erica. 

“Get them out of here.”

As he retreats back to race off in pursuit, the front door clicks open. Lydia steps out.   
“Would someone please tell me... what... the hell... is going on?”

Shocked, Derek stares at the innocent girl he nearly had killed. But he’s not the only one surprised. Stiles, Scott and Allison all turn to the open door of the house, peering in with the knowledge that one of their friends is still unaccounted for.

“Jackson.”

Carly gets out of the cab and waits for it to leave before making her way over to the group standing outside of Scott’s house. She looks up just in time to see the Kanima’s tail dip out of view. Turning on Derek she puts her hands on her hips and glares. 

“I told you it was Jackson. I told you. You promised me. No killing. What are you doing here, Derek?”

She raises an eyebrow at him waiting for whatever story he was going to try to tell her.

“He’s dangerous. He’s killing people.”

“Pot meet kettle, Derek.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

“Let me handle Jackson. You need to focus on whoever is making him do this. There’s someone controlling him.”


	16. Chapter 16

Derek Hale runs as fast as he can through the streets of the industrial section of Beacon Hills. Leaping over a chain link fence with an acrobatic flip, he drops to the other side, landing on all fours. When he lifts his head he's now a werewolf. In the distance, he spots the glowing eyes of the Kanima peering back at him, almost challenging him to catch up. Derek lopes after it, hands and feet pounding the pavement. The Kanima bounds up the side of a building.

“There he is!”

Stiles’s Jeep struggles around a turn while Scott tracks the Kanima’s movement from the passenger side. Just as they’re closing in, however, Stiles slams on the brakes. They screech to a stop at a parking lot entrance where severe tire damage spikes jut up from the pavement. 

“What do we do--”

But Scott is already out the door and running for it. Rainwater splashes up beneath Derek’s boots. Landing on the puddle-strewn pavement, he closes the distance between himself and the Kanima. He charges forward, feet leaving the ground as the creature bounds up in retreat. Hand swiping out, he grabs it by the ankle and slams it down to the pavement. But the thing whirls up, instantly back on its feet, Shrieking in defiance. Fangs bared, Derek roars a response. They circle each other. One a monster of brute force. The other a slippery creature, moving with a fluidity that borders on elegance. Derek swings a fist which it easily dodges. Punch after punch fly out, Derek smashing through brick walls, sending dust and debris flying. 

The Kanima, however, ducks and parries each blow, whipping its talon-like claws toward Derek. Drops of venom leap from the tips of the creature’s claws as Derek ducks back. The paralytic droplets just miss his head as he bends back, head almost touching the ground. When Derek comes up, however, the Kanima flips around and kicks him right in the chest. He splashes down, tumbling flat on his back in a puddle. The creature turns to run. Until gunshots literally take it off its feet. Two direct hits from a Desert Eagle gripped in the hands of Argent. Lights from his SUV blazing out from behind him, he steps into the alleyway and into the fight. Stunned, the Kanima slowly rights itself but Argent fires again, one shot after the next. Shells dropping to the pavement around his boots, he presses relentlessly forward. The Kanima takes each hit, finally collapsing to the wet pavement. Argent swings the gun back to aim for Derek. But there’s no sign of him. 

Head turned, Argent doesn’t notice the Kanima slowly rising to its feet. When he hears the scrape of claws, Argent whips the gun up and pulls the trigger again. But he’s out of ammunition. The empty clip clatters to the pavement. He yanks a new one from his coat, but not fast enough. The Kanima surges toward him and with one precise hit, sends him crashing to the pavement. Argent blinks, bordering on unconsciousness as the Kanima turns to face Gerard. Unarmed, the senior Argent holds still as the creature surveys him. Claws ticking against the pavement, it carefully approaches the fearless Gerard. The Kanima cocks its head to look at him, almost like a cobra judging its prey. Gerard simply stares back, holding his hands to his sides, palms out. Fingers grasping for his gun, Argent tries to blink his blurry vision back to normal but Scott knocks the Kanima from behind, sending it tumbling back. Scott lands on his feet. As the Kanima sets off in retreat, Scott gives a momentary glance to the quietly pleased Gerard and then charges forward in pursuit.

Carly was sitting at her desk going over her homework when she felt it. That warm, safe feeling that always told her Derek was near. She grinned as she turned around and found him climbing through her window. He was dirty and she could tell he had obviously been running from something or someone but she didn’t care. Getting out of her chair she made her way over to him and pulled him in for a kiss.

“You know I’m starting to like this ability you have to always know when I’m here. If it means a greeting like this.” 

Carly rolled her eyes and moved over to her dresser and pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of joggers for him.

“I bought these a few days ago. Figured at some point you were going to climb through my window in need of a change of clothes. What with the amount of times you end up bloody or beat up.”

Derek chuckled and tossed the clothes on her bed before grabbing her by the waist and pulling her closer to him.

“I think I have a much better idea. Is your dad home?”

“No why--Oh.”

She laughed as he picked her up and tossed her onto her bed, climbing in after her. 

“Derek, you know this is dangerous. You being here.”

Derek kisses along her neck and hums not really caring about getting caught at the moment. He had much more important things on his mind.

“What were you doing before you came here? You were chasing Jackson, weren’t you.”

She pulls Derek's face to look up at her.

“I told you to let me handle Jackson.”

Derek sighed and rolled off her, laying on his back he stared up at the ceiling. He could smell her disappointment and for the first time he really hated being a werewolf. 

“I know but I can’t just let you put yourself in danger. I know you think you have some kind of connection with him but I’m not willing to take that risk.”

“And I’m not willing to lose you. You ran into the Argents today didn’t you? They want you dead, Derek. They want all of you dead and they don’t care anymore. The rules are gone. This is war and if they get you then what? I might be able to defend myself now but I can’t take on an army of hunters. I can’t lose you.”

Derek turned to look at her realizing she was being serious and finally understood how important this was to her.

“I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful I promise. You are not going to lose me.”

Getting up he digs the keys to his car out of his pockets and hands them to her. 

“I want you to have this. At least until all of this is over. Not like I can be out there driving around right now and I’ll feel better knowing you have something safer than your bike to get you around.”

Sitting up she takes the keys in her hand and smirks at him.

“You’re giving me the Camaro? You really do love me, don’t you?”

“Shut up.”

He smiles as he pulls off his clothes and climbs back into the bed.

Outside the club Argent slips into the driver’s seat of his SUV beside Gerard. Cops and people are everywhere after the incident.

“Seven paralyzed. The rumor is drugs. Probably a hallucinogen since witnesses say they saw a demonic monster on the dance floor.”

“Now who would believe something like that?”

“You know what I’m having trouble believing? How you just stood there while that thing circled you and did nothing. You want to explain that to me?”

“Intuition.”

“ Then you know what it is?”

“I have a suspicion. And if I’m right it plays by certain rules. Ones that don’t bend easily.”

Gerard opens his pill box and dry swallows a handful. 

“Do we need to put a hold on Derek to figure this thing out?”

“Not necessarily. Tonight’s the first time you’ve had a glimpse of him since Kate died. Am I right?”

“Unfortunately.”

“And the only ties we’ve got to him are Isaac Lahey and Carly Stilinski. 

“What are you thinking?”

“That if this thing bothers Derek enough to bring him out of his little hole, then we might have a unique opportunity. What did I teach you is one of the best ways to eliminate a threat?”

“Get someone else to do it for you.”

Carly pulled into the gas station outside of town she knew what was coming next but her casual demeanor didn’t give anything away. He had trained her, he should know she would be able to spot a tail. 

She went about filling up the tank as two SUVs pulled into the station. One stopped in front of her and the other behind. Argent climbed out of the first one and made his way over to her.

“Carly.”

“Argent. To what do I owe the pleasure of this conversation.”

“You get a new car, Carly?”

“Yeah. Like it? I saved all my pennies.”

“Let’s not make this difficult. Where’s Derek?”

“I don’t know and if I did I wouldn’t tell you. You made it very clear what your intentions were. Kill everyone. Mass murder. Don’t know why I’m surprised. You’ll just be finishing what your sister started.”

Carly could see the anger starting to rise in Argent but he masked it well. He was ever a professional. Moving closer to him he was trying to intimidate her but she was more concerned with focusing her senses to make sure Derek didn’t track her down and see them. He would be less patient than she was.

“I’d think about your next move carefully, Argent. I would love to have an excuse to have my father lock you and your boys in jail for awhile. Less pieces on the board to worry about. Five grown men harassing a 16 year old girl. The Sheriff’s daughter. How do you think people would respond to that?”

Argent stares her down more amused now than annoyed and waves his boys off. 

“You know you might just be able to survive this world. You got a smart mouth though. Must be a Stilinski trait. Be careful. Being with Derek, that’s going to bring you a whole lot of pain.”

“You trying to look out for me now, Argent? Don’t you have an actual daughter to parent?”

“You have a goodnight, Carly.”

He turns and gets into his SUV and drives away.

“So that was Carly. I like her.”

Argent looks at his father and the smirk on his face like he just found a new challenge. He was enjoying this and Argent didn’t know just how far he was going to go to win.

Carly left the Camaro at her house before climbing out her window and heading to the subway station. Driving would have been too obvious and she wasn’t sure if the hunters were above putting a tail or tracker on her. When she was sure it was safe she made her way through the entrance and down into the darkness.

“Are you guys werewolves or Vampires? Would it kill you to put a few lights in here?”

The lights flip on and Isaac, Erica and Boys come out of the train laughing.

“Vampires aren’t real, Carly.”

“Do you know that for a fact, Boyd? Everyone thinks werewolves aren’t real but that’s because they haven’t met any.”

“What are you doing here anyway?”

“I came to hang out. My dad is on the warpath because idiots 1 and 2 kidnapped Jackson. So I’m avoiding that path of destruction. Also I had a little run in with our favorite hunter.”

Derek comes out of the train and crosses his arms over his chest. 

“You had a run in with Argent?”

“It was nothing. He tried that whole dangerous bad guy routine with me that he used on you. Blocked me in at a gas station. We exchanged a few words and he left. He’s not stupid enough to mess with he. I think he’s still convinced he can help me or something. I don’t need his help.”

“I swear if he comes near you..”

“Isaac,” Derek shakes his head and the betas all take seats.

“Let’s just pretend like the outside world isn’t out to get us for a few hours, yeah? I brought clue.”

She pulls a board game out of her backpack and Derek rolls his eyes but takes a seat near the rest of the pack and motions for Carly to sit next to him.

“Alright. Let’s see it.”

Carly stood outside of the school by Jackson’s Porsche waiting for him to finally make his way out of the building. When he finally walked out and saw Carly she watched him look around like he was trying to decide if running would be worth it. He decided against it and shifted his bag on his shoulder before making his way over to him.

“Do I need to add you to the restraining order too?”

“Relax. I had nothing to do with that stupid stunt my brother and Scott pulled. I told them to leave you alone. But you know now don’t you? You know the truth. What you really are.”

Jackson swallows and nods.

“Do you remember anything yet? What you do when you’re not you?”

“No. I mean I have these dreams sometimes. Flashes of things but none of it makes any sense.”

“That’s because you’re not in control. Do you remember at the pool, you and me?

Jackson tilts his head and tries to remember, his eyes flash into those of the Kanimas for a second before going back to his own. Carly smirks. 

“You remember. Or at least part of you does. It’s trying to tell you. Why didn’t you hurt me that night? You went after everyone else but not me. Even when Scott showed up, after he tossed me, you went after him like you were angry.”

“I don’t know. I don’t even know why I’m talking to you now. It’s just..It feels like I’m supposed to. Like I can’t help it but I can trust you.”

“I know. I don’t know why but it seems to be a wolf thing. Part of you is a werewolf. But whoever is controlling you is stronger. Stronger than you and stronger than me. You’ve bonded and that’s not an easy thing to break. Do you have any idea who it could be?”

“No. Not a clue.”

Carly and Derek were sitting in the subway car when Scott and Stiles arrived with Erica. She's barely moving. Just tight, strained breaths coming from between her pale lips. 

“Derek? Derek!”

Derek jumps to his feet and runs towards the sound of Scotts voice. Scott falls to the ground not being able to hold her any longer. Derek kneels down to pick Erica up. 

“Follow me.”

Inside the car, Carly directs a light over Erica’s arm while Scott and Stiles look on. 

“Is she dying?”

“She might. Which is why this is going to hurt.”

Grabbing her arm in his hands, he presses down on it, breaking it. Erica screams in agony and Carly flinches. 

“You broke her arm?”

“It’ll trigger the healing process. I also have to get the venom out. That’s the part that’s going to hurt.”

Hands gripped around her broken arm, Derek presses down. As Erica shrieks, blood infused with the viscous Kanima venom spills across the floor. Erica collapses into Stiles’s arms. Her eyes blink as she fights to stay conscious while looking up at him. 

“Stiles…”

Pushing the hair from her face, he gazes on her with the kind of look usually reserved for Lydia. 

“You make... a good... Batman.”

Finally, she closes her eyes and passes out. Scott follows a troubled Derek out of the car leaving Stiles and Carly with Erica.

“I’m going to help you stop him. I’ll help you stop Jackson as part of your pack.”

Derek turns back in surprise. 

“You want me in? Fine. But on one condition. We’re going to catch him. Not kill him and we do it my way.”


	17. Chapter 17

A desk lamp clicks on in the Sheriff’s office. Under the glow, Sheriff Stilinski pulls off the wrapper from a burger. But when he takes a bite, he nearly chokes on it. 

“What the hell is this?”

Food in his cheek, he glares across the desk at Stiles. Stiles is unwrapping his own burger in the chair next to his sister as if nothing is wrong.

“It’s a turkey burger.”

“I asked for a hamburger.”

Carly snickers and her dad shoots her a glare. She busies herself with eating her own burger and hiding her amusement from her father. 

“Turkey’s healthier.”

“Why are you trying to ruin my life?”

“I’m trying to extend your life. Now eat it and tell me what you found.”

“I’m not sharing confidential police work with a teenager.”

“Is it on the board behind you?”

Stiles leans toward the papers and photos pinned to a board behind Stilinski’s desk. With him distracted Carly swaps burgers with her dad.

“Don’t look at that. Avert your eyes.”

“What are those arrows pointing to the pictures?”

“All right, okay--I found one thing. Will you stop if I tell you? The mechanic and the couple who were murdered all had something in common.”

“All three?”

“All three. And you know what I always say. One’s an incident. Two’s a coincidence.”

“Three’s a pattern.”

“The mechanic, the husband, the wife. All the same age. All twenty four.”

“But what about Mr. Lahey? Isaac’s dad wasn’t anywhere near twenty four.”

Carly’s head perks up at the mention of Isaac’s dad. 

“That’s what made me think either Lahey’s murder wasn’t connected or the ages had to be coincidence.”

Stilinski opens a file marked LAHEY to show them. Carly puts down her food and actually finds herself paying attention to the conversation. Leaning forward in her seat to get a better look.

“Until I remembered this…”

He pushes the file over to show a picture of a young man in army fatigues. 

“Isaac’s older brother Camden.”

Carly stood up to get a better look at the picture of her best friend's brother. She only had vague memories of him. Isaac didn’t talk about him that much anymore.

“Died in combat.”

“If he was still alive today, guess how old he would be?”

“Twenty-four. What if same age means same class?”

Stiles focuses on the photo of the Mechanic wearing a Beacon Hills Lacrosse jersey. 

“Did you think of that?”

“Well... I would have. Lahey’s file came to me only two hours ago.”

“Two hours, Dad? Someone could be dying.”

“I’m aware of that, thank you! “

Moments later high school yearbooks and packed transcript folders drop down onto the desk. Stiles flips one open while Stilinski quickly pours over transcripts and paperwork. Carly has taken her seat again bored. She reaches over and grabs her brother's fries.

“This is it. Class of 2006. They all went to Beacon Hills. So what if they all knew each other? Two of them got married. Maybe they all hung out?”

“They could’ve had the same classes…”

Stilinski trails off, stopping on a transcript page. 

“What?”

“Same teacher.”

Stiles moves to his side to look at the page. 

“All of them were in his class?”

“All four. I’m not sure how Lahey fits in, but this--this is definitely a pattern.”

The transcript is for a class titled Intermediate Chemistry with Mr. Adrian Harris. Pictured at the top of the page, his disdainful eyes peered out through black-rimmed glasses. 

“Harris.”

Stilinski moves quickly, yanking the desk phone off its hook. 

“Grab the one for 2006. These names. We need faces for them.”

“Which ones?”

“All of the names in the Chemistry class. If the killer isn’t done killing…”

“One of them’s next.”

Stiles snaps up the 2006 yearbook. Pages flipping forward, black and white high school photos rise into focus. The faces of young men and girls. 

The dead bolt clicks back on the front door of the Animal clinic. Scott steps aside to let Derek, Carly and Isaac in. 

“What’s he doing here?”

“I need him.”

“I don’t trust him.”

“He doesn’t trust you either.”

“And Derek doesn’t care. Now where’s the vet and is he going to help us or not?”

They turn to see Deaton is watching them from just beyond the examining room. 

“That depends. Your friend Jackson. Are we planning to kill him? Or save him?”

“Save him,” Carly and Scott respond in unison.

“Kill him.”

Carly and Scott glare at the other two boys and Derek crosses his arms but nods.

“Save him.”

Deaton unlocks a drawer to reveal dozens of glass jars, different grains and petals inside. Most interesting to Derek’s eyes are the Celtic symbols on each jar’s lid - a triquetra, an Awen, taranis wheel and others. Isaac reaches for a jar but Derek grabs him by the wrist. 

“Watch what you touch.”

Deaton takes one jar with the symbol of a shield knot on it and views the contents inside. 

“What are you? Some kind of witch?”

“No, I’m a veterinarian. But I do have experience treating an unusually wide variety of animals.”

He places the jar back with a look of dissatisfaction. 

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure if anything here is going to be an effective defense against a paralytic toxin.”

“We’re open to suggestions.”

“How about an effective offense?”

“We tried. I nearly ripped its head off and Argent emptied an entire clip into it. The thing just gets back up. If anything, I think it’s getting stronger.”

“Has it shown any weaknesses?”

“One. It’s either afraid of water or it can’t swim.”

“Does that go for Jackson as well?”

“No. He’s a perfect swimmer.”

Deaton thinks for a moment. Then removes a new item from the drawer. An old, scratched steel pendant. 

“Essentially you’re trying to catch two people. A puppet and puppeteer.”

He places the odd piece on the table. It’s the symbol of cernunnos, a horned God seated in a meditative position. He’s encircled by a snake which he grasps at the throat in his right hand. 

“One killed the husband. But the other had to take care of the wife. Do we know why?”

“I don’t think Jackson could do it. His mother died pregnant too. She might have been murdered. I think he couldn’t let the same thing happen to someone else.”

“How do you know it’s not part of the rules? The Kanima kills murderers. If Jackson killed the wife, the baby would have died too.”

“Then doesn’t that mean your father was a murderer?”

“Wouldn’t surprise me if he was.”

“But the Bestiary said if the bond’s strong enough, it’ll kill whoever the Master wants it to.”

“What if the bond isn’t as strong anymore? If it’s been weakened. That night at the pool I think we made a connection. Jackson told me he’s starting to have dreams. He’s starting to remember. When I was talking to him he started to turn. Just his eyes for a split second. Like the Kanima was trying to answer me himself.”

“Hold on. The book says they’re bonded. What if the fear of water isn’t coming from Jackson, but from the person controlling him?”

Deaton looks at Carly curiously for a few moments before he pulls another jar from the drawer, this one filled with a gray ash. The symbol on it is for rowan. Deaton unscrews the lid and begins lightly pouring out the contents around the amulet with Cernunnos on it. 

“That could mean the same properties that affect a creature like the Kanima will also affect its human Master.”

“And that means what?”

“It means we can catch them.”

He looks down to the circle of mountain ash formed around Cernunnos and his Snake. 

“Both of them.”

Derek and Carly were in the Camaro at the overlook. There were cars full of teenagers making out around them. It was the last place the Hunters would look for them. 

“I need you to stay home tonight.”

“What? Not a chance.”

“Carly..this is going to be dangerous.”

“Everything is always dangerous. Stiles is going-”

“Stiles is laying down some mountain ash.”

“So then I’ll stay outside. I’ll make sure he’s safe.”

“No. I can’t do what I need to do if I’m worrying about you too.”

“Then don’t worry about me. I’m capable of taking care of myself. If you ever let me actually help you’d see that.”

“Carly I know you can handle yourself. I know you think you have some kind of bond with Jackson but tonight I need you to just do what I’m asking. Please.”

Carly looks away from him and out the window of the car.

“Fine. I’ll stay home but I swear to god Derek if something happens to any of you I will find a way to make you suffer. I’m not kidding. Stop laughing at me.”

Derek tries to stifle a laugh at the thought of Carly trying to fight him. 

“Sorry, hey, look at me.”

He leans over the seat and takes her face in his hands.

“I love you.”

Carly smiles and presses her lips to his in a kiss.

Charging down the steps from the house, Stiles nearly collides with his dad returning home. 

“Can’t talk, gotta’ run. Carly’s got dinner ready for you.”

He heads for his Jeep but as Stilinski starts up the steps with his coat in his hands, Stiles stops and steps back to look at his dad. 

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. What do you mean?”

“You don’t have your gun. You always have your gun.”

He points to the lack of sidearm underneath Stilinski’s coat. 

“Yeah. I left it at the station. With my badge.”

“What?”

“It’s all right. We can talk about it later.”

“Dad.”

“It’s nothing to worry about--”

“Dad.”

“It’s been decided that the son of the Sheriff stealing police property and getting a restraining order against him from one of Beacon Hill's most respected attorneys doesn’t exactly reflect well on the county.”

“They fired you?”

“Leave of Absence. It’s temporary.”

“Did they say it was temporary?”

“Actually, no. But it’s fine. Don’t worry about it. We’re going to be fine.”

“Dad... Why aren’t you angry at me?”

Stilinski looks at the coat in his hands as if the answer might lie somewhere in its folds. 

“I don’t know. Maybe right now I just don’t want to feel any worse than I already do by having to yell at my son.”

He turns, heading for the door while leaving a guilt-ridden Stiles standing alone at the edge of the steps. Carly is in the kitchen with a plate of meatloaf when he walks in. She’s smiling, unaware of his predicament and he doesn’t have the heart to tell her. He just smiles and sits down at the table as if nothing is wrong.

Outside the building where the rave is being held Argent and his men head for the entrance. But they pause when two figures appear standing just ahead of them. Derek and Boyd step into the light. 

“Derek. Back off.”

“Back off? That’s all you’ve got? I was kind of hoping for a little more hard-edged tough guy talk from the veteran werewolf hunter. You know more like when you corner 16 year old girls in the middle of the night at a gas station.”

Argent seems slightly amused by Derek's words.

“Okay, then. How about... Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to bring claws to a gunfight?”

Shotguns and handguns come up and start firing at the two wolves. Boyd leans over to Derek. 

“That one sounded pretty good.”

A hail of sound-suppressed bullets puncture the side of the building as Boyd pushes up the arms of a gun-wielding Hunter. Derek flips past them and kicks out, sending another Hunter soaring across the pavement. Bullet clips falling to the ground, Argent slips around a corner to reload. Fangs out for blood, Boyd’s eyes flare yellow as he launches toward a downed Hunter for the kill But is dragged back to the pavement by Derek who snaps his head around to snarl at him, sending his beta scrambling back. When Derek turns again, pins fire from a taser hit his right side with a burst of blue electricity. Another pair of pins catch him on his left side, sending him to his knees. He cries out in pain and suddenly a soft hand is on his shoulder pulling him out of the line of fire and around the corner of the building. Argent’s phone lights up in his pocket, vibrating as he drags one of his Hunters behind a dumpster for cover. Breathing hard, he glances at Allison’s text while a few yards away-- Derek, also breathless, eases a bloodied Boyd against the side of the building. 

“Carly, what are you doing here. You said you would stay home.”

“I planned on staying home until I realized that was a stupid idea and so I came. Good thing because you were about to get yourself killed.”

“She has a point. Think I stopped healing.”

“Bullets. Laced with wolfsbane. You have to go. You two take the car.”

“What about you?”

“I need to find Scott. Go.”

Boyd begins to back away but Carly stands her ground.

“You need an opening. I can give you one.”

“No. Take Boyd and get out of here.”

“I wasn’t asking for your permission.”

Carly stands up and pulls two daggers out of the sides of her pants. She twirls them around in her hand before stepping out from behind the wall.

“I know they say you shouldn’t bring knives to a gunfight but come on. It’s more of a challenge this way.”

She whirls around and throws one of the daggers, it sinks into the leg of a hunter, causing him to collapse on the pavement. Derek shakes his head as he watches her before he bolts for the warehouse. But his boots stop right in front of the ash barrier. He can’t move. 

“Stiles! Stiles, break the barrier!”

“Are you kidding? It’s working. For the first time ever one of our plans is actually working!”

“Scott’s dying.”

“What? How do you know--”

“I just know! Break the barrier. Do it now.”

His voice thunders at him. Nearly shaken off his feet, Stiles hurries toward the ash line. He kneels in front of it, brings his hand up with the palm out, and swings down. Derek runs across the barrier in search of Scott.

Back at the subway station Carly is helping dig the bullets out of Boyd while Erica and Isaac hold him down. They’re covered in blood and wounds but Carly doesn’t seem bothered by it.

“This was the last one. You should start healing now.”

“What about you.”

Carly shrugs and rips the bottom half of her shirt and ties it around her arm where a bullet grazed her.

“I’ll live.”

“Where’s Derek?”

Carly takes a deep breath and rolls her shoulders. 

“I don’t know. He went after Scott. Give me a second.”

She closes her eyes and tries to focus but she can feel the betas staring at her.

“Stop. I’m trying to focus.”

“On what?”

“I’m not sure but I always seem to be able to sense Derek when he’s close or in trouble. Like at the lacrosse game. I might not be able to figure out exactly where he is but I’ll know if he’s safe.”

She closes her eyes and tries to focus again. She feels that familiar pull that always connects her to Derek and she knows he’s safe. 

“He’s okay. He’s sleeping. I don’t know where but if he’s sleeping it’s some place he feels safe. We should all be happy he’s not here. I’m not up for a lecture.”


End file.
